BLACK  P; 


OR. 

THE  FALL 
OF 
.  FORT  DEARBO 


^  By 

COLONEL  H. R.GORDON 


Frontispiece 


The  Pursuit 


Page  293 


BLACK    PARTRIDGE 

OR 

THE  FALL  OF  FORT  DEARBORN 

By 

COLONEL  H.  R.  GORDON 

Author  of  "  Red  Jacket,"  "  Logan,  "  "  Pontiac,"  etc. 


NEW  YORK 

E.  P.  DUTTON  &  COMPANY 
31  West  Twenty-third  Street 


Copyright  by 

E.   P.    DUTTON   &   Co. 

1906 

Published  September  1906 


The  Plimpton  Press  Norwood  Mass.  U.S  A 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  On  the  Trail  to  Fort  Deaborn      ...  i 

II.    Pushing  to  the  Northwest 13 

III.    Woodcraft 25 

rv.    On  the  Shore 37 

V.    Comrades 49 

VI.    An  Exchange  of  Shots 60 

VII.    The  War  Party        72 

VIII.    An  Error  of  Judgment 84 

IX.    At  Court 98 

X.    Black  Partridge       .     .     .  ■ 109 

XL    The  Crisis 120 

XII.    Companions  in  Peril 134 

XIII.  A  Warning  Call 144 

XIV.  Up  Stream 156 

XV.    The  Burns  Cabin 168 

XVI.    OuTM^TTED 180 

XVII.    Among  the  Shadows 190 

XVIII.    Two  Old  Friends 200 

XIX.    The  Fateful  Morning        210 

XX.    Lively  Work        220 

XXI.    The  Attack 230 

XXII.    A  Border  Heroine 241 

XXIII.  Through  the  Fire 249 

XXIV.  Behind  the  Ridge 260 

XXV.    Private  Dugron        270 

XXVL    The  Warning  Voice 286 

XXVIL    Conclusion 298 


2  Black  Partridge 

in  1804.  The  distance  between  the  two  posts  named 
was  nearly  two  hundred  miles,  the  trail  connecting 
them  being  well  marked,  and  leading  around  the 
southern  end  of  Lake  Michigan.  It  was  sometimes 
the  custom  for  persons  making  the  journey  to  use  a 
canoe  between  Fort  Dearborn  and  the  southern  end 
of  the  lake.  This  saved  about  a  fifth  of  the  distance 
and  gave  a  pleasant  change  in  the  method  of  travel. 

The  Indian  chief  who  appeared  at  Fort  Wayne 
belonged  to  the  Pottawatomie  tribe  and  was  one  of 
their  most  famous  sachems.  He  has  been  called 
Black  Bird  by  some  writers,  but  is  more  generally 
remembered  as  Black  Partridge.  He  had  great 
native  force  of  character,  was  personally  brave  and 
was  held  in  high  regard,  not  only  along  the  frontier, 
but  by  our  government  because  of  his  friendship  for 
American  settlers.  His  shrewd  counsel,  his  tact,  and 
his  intrepidity  saved  disaster  to  the  settlements  more 
than  once. 

As  proof  of  the  gratitude  of  our  government  to  this 
remarkable  Indian,  I  may  give  a  brief  description  of 
the  silver  medal  presented  to  him  and  which  he  always 
wore  where  it  could  be  plainly  seen,  pendent  from 
a  cord  around  his  neck.  It  was  once  my  good  fortune 
to  hold  this  interesting  token  in  my  hands,  and  I  re- 
member it  clearly.  The  face  contained  a  bust  of 
our  President,  encircled  by  these  words:  "James 
Madison,  President  of  the  United  States,  1809."    On 


On  the  Trail  to  Fort  Dearborn  3 

the  obverse  or  other  side  were  the  figures  of  a  toma- 
hawk and  Indian  pipe  crossed,  with  two  clasped 
hands  beneath,  and  between  and  among  these  emblems 
were  the  words  "Peace  and  Friendship." 

This  pretty  medal  was  a  present  from  the  Great 
Father  at  Washington,  and  old  frontiersmen  who 
knew  Black  Partridge  have  told  me  that  the  grim 
old  sachem  found  it  hard  to  forgive  any  one  who 
talked  with  or  stood  before  him  for  a  few  minutes 
without  noticing  his  handsome  medal  and  making 
inquiries  about  it. 

So  you  will  understand  that  when  he  showed  him- 
self at  many  of  the  widely  separated  frontier  posts 
he  was  certain  of  a  warm  welcome.  He  had  been  at 
Fort  Wayne  before  and  was  recognized  the  moment 
he  showed  himself  in  front  of  the  gate  leading  through 
the  stockades,  and  was  admitted  without  a  moment's 
question.  Just  now,  however,  we  are  more  interested 
in  the  youngster  who  accompanied  him  than  in  the 
famous  leader  of  the  Pottawatomies. 

This  lad  was  Jethro  Judd,  and  he  was  the  son  of 
a  trader  employed  by  the  American  Fur  Company, 
formed  by  John  Jacob  Astor,  and  sanctioned  by  Con- 
gress in  1809.  Because  of  the  long  and  toilsome 
journeys  which  the  elder  Judd  had  to  make  through 
the  unsettled  wilderness  of  the  West  and  Northwest, 
he  placed  his  only  child,  at  the  mother's  death,  in 
charge  of  the  well-known  trader  John  H.  Kinzie,  at 


4  Black  Partridge 

Fort  Dearborn,  of  whom  I  shall  have  more  to  tell 
you  later.  Kinzie  and  Judd  were  old  friends,  and 
the  kind-hearted  trader  was  more  than  glad  to  do  this 
favor  for  his  former  comrade. 

You  need  hardly  be  told  that  when  young  Judd 
was  carried  to  the  foot  of  the  lake  in  the  canoe  of 
Black  Partridge,  and  thence  conducted  over  the 
Indian  trail  to  Fort  Wayne,  it  did  not  take  him  and 
Auric  Kingdon  long  to  become  warm  friends.  The 
first  hour  of  their  interchange  of  confidences  brought 
two  interesting  facts  to  light,  which  had  much  to  do 
in  deepening  their  mutual  affection.  These  facts 
were  certainly  strange  coincidences.  They  were  both 
born  on  the  same  day  of  the  same  year,  and  their 
mothers,  whose  Christian  name  was  "Mary,"  both 
died  in  the  same  year.  Such  little  matters  as  these, 
while  they  can  have  no  real  meaning,  have  a  marked 
effect  in  bringing  two  lads  into  closer  ties  of  affection. 
It  may  be  said  that  from  that  day  the  two  boys  be- 
came devoted  to  each  other,  and  their  mutual  regard 
was  higher  than  that  felt  by  either  for  any  other 
person. 

Now,  when  neighbors  are  separated  by  a  distance 
of  two  hundred  miles  of  wilderness  and  solitude,  it 
can  hardly  be  expected  that  they  will  exchange  visits 
very  often.  In  almost  any  circumstances  the  one 
spoken  of  would  have  been  the  last  between  the  two 
boys,  but  such  was  not  the  fact.    It  may  be  said  that 


On  the  Trail  to  Fort  Dearborn  5 

the  long  stretch  of  forest  which  one  had  to  traverse 
to  reach  the  other  gave  zest  to  the  journey.  So  it 
came  about  that  not  a  year  had  passed  after  their 
first  meeting  in  which  one  of  them  did  not  make  one 
and  sometimes  two  visits  to  the  other.  These  calls 
naturally  lasted  for  a  week  or  two.  Many  were  the 
deUghtful  rambles  they  had  in  the  woods,  hunting  for 
the  abundant  game  that  was  always  to  be  found, 
sometimes  staying  for  days  among  the  Indians,  who 
at  that  time  were  quite  friendly  to  the  whites,  or  pad- 
dUng  long  distances  over  the  great  inland  sea,  on 
whose  western  shore  stood  Fort  Dearborn,  the  germ 
of  the  wonderful  city  that  grew  into  being  during  the 
century  following  the  planting  of  the  frontier  post. 

In  one  instance,  the  two  boys  paddled  all  the  way 
to  Mackinaw,  away  up  at  the  northern  end  of  the  lake, 
and  were  absent  from  Fort  Dearborn  for  several 
weeks.  It  was  on  that  memorable  voyage  that  Jethro 
Judd  escaped  being  shot  by  a  vagrant  Winnebago, 
as  by  a  hair's  breadth.  They  kept  the  secret,  but 
decided  to  make  their  explorations  thereafter  in  other 
directions. 

At  irregular  intervals,  messengers  visited  the  fron- 
tier posts,  carrying  orders  from  headquarters,  as  well 
as  news  of  the  outside  world.  Sometimes  these  mes- 
sengers were  Indian  runners  and  occasionally  a  white 
scout,  who  liked  such  business.  Whenever  the  chance 
offered,  Jethro  sent  a  letter  to  Auric  at  Fort  Dearborn, 


6  Black  Partridge 

and  the  latter  was  equally  quick  to  use  the  return 
post.  It  was  by  this  means  that  the  two  lads  arranged 
to  meet  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  on 
a  certain  Wednesday  in  August,  1812,  Auric  making 
the  journey  thither  from  Fort  Wayne,  while  Jethro 
was  to  paddle  southward  from  Fort  Dearborn.  You 
will  bear  in  mind  that  the  latter  had  to  go  only  about 
one  fourth  as  far  as  his  friend  was  obliged  to  tramp 
through  the  wilderness. 

When  you  are  told  that  precisely  the  same  journey 
had  been  made  several  times  by  the  young  comrades 
without  the  slightest  hitch,  you  will  see  that  they  had 
a  right  to  believe  the  same  pleasing  experience  would 
be  repeated.  Barring  accidents,  they  knew  to  within 
an  hour  the  time  required  for  the  task.  Each  was 
the  owner  of  a  tough,  fleet  pony,  which  he  knew  how 
to  ride  well,  but  the  animal  was  not  used  on  the  ex- 
cursions named,  with  the  exception  of  the  one  made 
when  the  boys  were  fourteen  years  old.  In  that 
instance  they  met  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake,  and 
then  Jethro  turned  back,  and  the  couple  kept  to  the 
trail  all  the  way  to  Fort  Dearborn.  They  then  agreed 
that  such  a  ride  was  monotonous  and  that  the  com- 
paratively short  voyage  by  canoe  added  a  pleasing 
variety. 

The  outing  with  which  I  open  my  story  was  the 
most  remarkable  in  more  than  one  respect  that  had 
ever  come  to  the  youths.     As  I  have  said,  each  could 


On  the  Trail  to  Fort  Dearborn  7 

calculate  the  time  of  his  arrival  at  the  meeting-place 
on  the  southern  shore  of  the  lake,  to  an  hour,  pro- 
vided no  unforeseen  accident  prevented.  The  trail 
from  Fort  Wayne  was  so  well  marked,  and  Auric  was 
so  familiar  with  it,  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
go  astray.  Substantially  he  had  to  tramp  a  distance 
of  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  but  the  way  was 
not  hard,  and  he  looked  upon  the  task  much  as  you 
look  upon  a  ramble  through  the  country  in  spring- 
time. Young,  strong,  vigorous,  and  in  high  spirits, 
it  was  the  most  delightful  kind  of  a  treat.  When 
he  felt  tired  he  could  sit  down  and  rest.  The  easy, 
swinging  gait  was  pleasing  exercise;  water  was  so 
abundant  at  different  points  that  he  need  never  thirst; 
a  httle  skill  was  all  that  was  necessary  to  bring  down 
a  wild  turkey,  or  larger  game,  though  the  season  was 
not  the  most  favorable  in  that  respect.  The  weather 
was  so  warm  that  it  was  more  enjoyable  to  sleep  out 
of  doors  than  under  a  roof,  and  that,  too,  without 
the  blanket  which  Auric's  parents  pressed  upon  him, 
but  which  he  dechned;  the  ground  was  comparatively 
level  with  few  large  streams,  and  he  had  allowed  him- 
self enough  time  to  reheve  the  journey  of  everything 
in  the  nature  of  toil  or  labor.  His  calculation  was 
to  spend  three  nights  on  the  road,  arriving  in  sight  of 
the  lake  at  about  noon  on  the  fourth  day.  It  was  still 
easier  for  Jethro  Judd  to  carry  out  his  part,  since  the 
distance  was  so  much  less  and  was  entirely  by  water. 


8  Black  Partridge 

For  the  present  we  must  confine  our  attention  to 
the  youth  who  had  come  from  the  southwest  and  was 
steadily  pushing  toward  Fort  Dearborn. 

Remembering  the  sultry  season  and  the  Abundance 
of  game,  it  need  hardly  be  said  that  he  travelled  in  the 
lightest  possible  costume.  He  wore  a  cap  which  you 
and  I  would  have  found  burdensome,  even  in  cool 
weather.  Our  forefathers  seemed  to  have  slight 
idea  of  the  use  of  the  cool  hats  of  the  present  day, 
but  almost  invariably  wore  fur  caps  which  must  have 
been  anything  but  comfortable  even  in  autumn,  or 
early  spring.  There  was  the  short  coat,  with  a  band 
around  the  waist  Hke  a  sash.  Behind  this  was  thrust 
the  hunting  knife,  the  handle  projecting  upward 
where  it  could  be  snatched  forth  on  the  instant  needed. 
The  thick  trousers  stopped  at  the  knees,  below  which 
were  woollen  stockings,  the  boy  being  shod  with  strong, 
coarse  shoes,  capable  of  the  severest  wear.  Bullet 
pouch  and  powder-horn  were  suspended  by  thick 
cords  from  the  neck,  and  a  few  trifling  but  needed 
articles  were  carried  in  the  big  pockets  of  the  coat. 

Each  boy  had  an  excellent  rifle,  which  of  course 
was  of  the  old  flintlock  pattern.  The  youths  were 
sturdy  and  rugged.  Auric  being  an  inch  or  two  taller 
than  his  friend,  though  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
there  was  any  difference  in  their  strength  or  activity. 

Now,  if  you  will  reflect  a  moment,  you  will  recall 
that  the  summer  of  1812  was  a  momentous  one  in  the 


On  the  Trail  to  Fort  Dearborn  9 

history  of  our  country.  On  the  19th  of  June,  Con- 
gress declared  war  with  Great  Britain.  There  being 
no  telegraph  in  those  days,  the  news  required  days 
and  weeks  to  reach  every  part  of  our  country.  In 
some  instances  more  than  a  month  passed  before  it 
was  known  to  the  frontier  posts.  Fort  Wayne  did 
not  hear  of  it  until  a  messenger  arrived  from  General 
Hull  at  Detroit,  early  in  August. 

Almost  the  first  thing  done  by  Lieutenant  Kingdon 
at  Fort  Wayne  was  to  forbid  his  son  making  his  visit 
to  Fort  Dearborn.  While  he  sympathized  with  the 
boy's  disappointment,  he  resolutely  shook  his  head  in 
answer  to  his  pleadings. 

"There  is  really  no  reason,  Mr.  Kingdon,  why  you 
should  forbid  him  this  pleasure,"  said  the  captain,  in 
his  mild,  pleasing  manner,  when  his  subordinate  told 
him  of  his  decision. 

"The  news  of  the  war  must  be  known  to  the  Indians 
between  here  and  Fort  Dearborn;  you  know  they 
have  a  way  of  learning  such  things  long  before  we  are 
able  to  find  them  out." 

"What  of  it?" 

"Since  England  understands  so  much  better  than 
we  how  to  manage  the  redskins,  all  the  tribes,  with 
hardly  an  exception,  will  fight  for  her.  I  do  not 
think  it  will  be  safe  for  Auric  to  enter  their  country, 
while  they  are  restless  and  ill-disposed  toward  the 
Americans." 


10  Black  Partridge 

''You  are  only  partly  right;  we  have  a  good  many 
friends  among  the  Indians,  like  Black  Partridge,  the 
Pottawatomie  chief;  he  has  great  influence  and  there 
are  others  like  him;  he  is  especially  friendly  to  young 
Judd,  and  therefore  friendly  to  all  Judd's  friends; 
Auric  is  known  to  many  of  the  Indians,  and  I  don't 
beUeve  he  has  an  enemy  among  them." 

"I  wish  I  could  agree  with  you,  captain,  but  I  can 
do  so  only  to  the  extent  that  what  you  say  may  have 
been  true  down  to  the  time  when  the  tidings  of  the 
declaration  of  war  reached  the  redskins.  You  know 
their  nature  too  well  to  rest  much  hope  on  their  friend- 
ship; many  of  the  Indians  under  old  Opecancanough 
sat  at  the  tables  of  their  white  friends  at  Jamestown, 
nearly  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  tomahawked  them 
an  hour  later;  Pontiac's  warriors  scalped  the  men 
who  had  proved  themselves  their  best  friends;  it  has 
always  been  so  and  will  be  so  to  the  end." 

"There's  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  what  you  say,  but 
you  overlook  one  fact.  Our  authorities  will  do  the 
most  they  can  to  win  the  different  tribes  to  their  side; 
the  British  may  checkmate  us  —  more  than  likely 
they  will  —  but  the  measures  that  each  will  set  on 
foot  will  hold  the  Indians  undecided  for  some  weeks 
if  not  months  to  come;  the  danger  of  an  American 
trusting  himself  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians  is  no 
greater  to-day  than  it  was  six  months  or  a  year  ago, 
nor  will  the  peril  increase  for  some  time  to  come, 


On  the  Trail  to  Fort  Dearborn  it 

though  when  the  painted  demons  do  declare  themselves, 
look  out! 

''Now,  Auric  is  virtually  a  man,  though  he  is  not 
seventeen  years  old.  He  has  good  sense,  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  Indian  character;  I  believe  he  can  make 
himself  understood  in  some  of  their  tongues?" 

His  father  smiled  and  nodded. 

"Yes;  he  has  a  curious  facihty  for  picking  up 
their  lingo;  I  heard  him  holding  conversation  with 
Black  Partridge  and  he  seemed  to  do  it  with  as  much 
ease  as  you  and  I  are  conversing  this  minute.  I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  if  he  has  learned  how  to  jabber 
in  the  tongue  of  some  of  the  other  tribes,  though  I 
don't  see  when  or  where  he  ever  got  the  chance  to 
learn." 

-'You  see,  Mr.  Kingdon,  that  your  son  has  peculiar 
opportunities  for  gaining  the  most  valuable  kind  of 
information  for  us.  His  knowledge  of  the  Indian 
tongue  will  be  of  great  help ;  he  is  sure  to  come  in  con- 
tact with  chiefs  and  warriors  from  whom  he  will  get 
a  clearer  view  of  the  real  situation  than  any  of  our 
scouts  could  gain;  I  am  sure  he  will  be  in  no  more 
personal  danger  than  he  was  last  summer,  when  he 
made  the  journey  to  and  from  the  foot  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, without  a  solitary  companion,  and  slept  each 
night  in  one  of  the  lodges  of  the  Winnebagoes  or 
Miamis  or  some  other  tribe.  I  shall  be  surprised 
if  the  news  which  Auric  picks  up  on  this  journey  does 


12  Black  Partridge 

not  prove  to  be  of  the  highest  importance,  not  to  us 
alone,  but  to  our  government." 

Lieutenant  Kingdon  was  impressed  by  the  words 
of  his  superior  officer.  The  view  presented  had  not 
occurred  to  him.  He  was  a  patriot  and  did  not  hesi- 
tate in  his  decision. 

"I  cannot  deny  the  force  of  what  you  say,  captain; 
Auric,  God  wiUing,  shall  make  the  trip  to  Fort  Dear- 
bom  and,  I  trust,  back  to  Fort  Wayne." 


CHAPTER  II 

PUSHING  TO  THE   NORTHWEST 

And  so  it  came  about  that  Auric  Kingdon  left  Fort 
Wayne  on  a  warm,  sunshiny  morning  in  the  month 
of  August,  1812,  to  meet  his  friend,  Jethro  Judd,  on 
the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  He  kissed  his 
father  good-by,  and  with  his  rifle  over  his  shoulder 
set  off  in  such  high  spirits  that  his  whistling  and  sing- 
ing were  heard  by  his  smiling  father  and  the  other 
officers,  who  watched  him  until  he  passed  from  sight 
over  the  winding  trail,  which  entered  the  wood  a 
short  distance  away  and  led  northwest  to  old  Fort 
Dearborn,  from  which  point  Jethro  Judd  was  soon 
to  set  out  to  meet  him. 

Auric  was  accompanied  by  his  favorite  dog  Zinc, 
though  why  he  should  receive  such  a  name  would 
be  hard  to  tell,  since  there  was  nothing  zincous  in  his 
nature.  He  was  presented  to  him  when  a  pup  by  a 
friendly  Miami,  who  sometimes  acted  as  messenger 
between  the  frontier  posts.  He  was  a  mongrel,  not 
very  intelligent  and  certainly  homely  in  appearance. 
But  he  was  a  good  hunter,  and  had  served  his  master 
well  on  many  of  his  excursions  in  quest  of  game.  He 
13 


14  Black  Partridge 

was  as  delighted  as  the  lad,  and  scampered  through 
the  woods,  first  on  one  side  of  the  trail  and  then  the 
other,  pretending  sometimes  to  have  struck  the  scent 
of  game,  and  scurrying  many  rods  in  advance,  yelp- 
ing with  excitement,  as  if  he  were  on  the  heels  of  a 
fleeing  bear  or  deer.  Then  he  would  disappear  for 
an  hour  or  more,  to  come  trotting  soberly  back,  his 
whole  manner  saying: 

"The  bear  was  of  unusual  size  and  fierceness;  I 
thought  it  best  to  kill  him  where  I  had  him  at  bay; 
but  the  season  is  not  good,  and  knowing  you  wouldn't 
care  to  eat  his  flesh,  when  you  can  get  plenty  that  is 
much  better,  I  didn't  bring  back  his  carcase  with  me." 

The  trail  led  through  the  wilderness,  sometimes 
over  slight  elevations,  then  across  stretches  of  prairie 
and  again  plunging  into  the  depths  of  the  woods,  but 
it  was  never  difficult  at  any  time  to  travel  except  when 
the  larger  streams  were  swollen.  Auric  could  have 
made  better  time  without  trouble,  but  there  was  no 
need  to  do  so,  and  it  was  pleasanter  to  keep  moving 
than  to  sit  on  the  shore  and  await  the  coming  of  his 
friend  in  his  canoe. 

The  path  which  the  youth  used  was  an  old  one  that 
had  been  well  worn  by  the  hoofs  of  horses,  though 
far  more  had  passed  over  it  on  foot.  In  making  such 
trails  the  old  Indian  custom  was  invariably  followed. 
Instead  of  riding  abreast,  the  horsemen  or  footmen 
tramped  after  one  another  in  single  file,  except  when 


Pushing  to  the  Northwest  15 

the  open  plain  made  it  easy  to  ride  side  by  side.  There 
were  numerous  places  where  the  path  was  narrow, 
and  others  where  a  squad  of  cavalry  could  have 
galloped  in  loose  order  without  inconvenience.  This 
was  fortunate  in  one  respect,  for,  as  the  sun  climbed 
the  sky  and  the  temperature  rose,  Auric  could  walk 
most  of  the  time  in  the  cool  shade,  well  protected 
from  the  hot  rays. 

As  for  Zinc,  he  seemed  never  to  grow  tired,  though 
now  and  then,  when  he  allowed  sight  to  be  caught  of 
him,  his  tongue  was  seen  to  be  lolling  from  his  mouth 
and  he  panted  like  a  steam-engine.  He  whisked  here 
and  there,  in  and  out  among  the  trees,  occasionally 
halting  and  glancing  at  his  master  as  if  to  say:  "Don't 
worry;  I'm  keeping  guard  over  you,' and  you're  safe." 

Watches  or  timepieces  were  such  a  luxury  a  cen- 
tury ago  that  not  one  person  in  a  hundred  felt  able 
to  own  one.  At  Fort  Wayne,  with  its  garrison  of 
more  than  fifty  men,  the  commandant  was  the  only 
man  who  had  a  pocket  timepiece,  and  even  that  was 
unreHable.  Most  of  the  famiUes  preferred  to  rely 
on  their  own  primitive  methods  of  telHng  the  hour, 
and  I  am  afraid  that,  if  the  captain  had  been  honest, 
he  would  have  confessed  he  had  more  faith  in  such 
means  than  he  had  in  the  clumsy  "bull's-eye,"  even 
though  it  came  all  the  way  from  Switzerland.  When 
the  sun  was  shining,  the  housewife  had  the  mark  on 
the  window-sill  or  floor  by  which  she  could  regulate 


i6  Black  Partridge 

her  meals  and  duties,  while  others  could  do  almost 
as  well  through  noting  the  place  of  the  sun  in  the 
heavens. 

Auric  Kingdon  had  two  timepieces  while  tramping 
over  the  Fort  Dearborn  trail:  the  location  of  the  sun 
overhead  and  his  appetite.  He  waited  until  the  orb 
of  day  was  a  little  past  meridian,  and  while  doing  so 
and  pressing  forward  toward  a  little  stream  of  cold 
water,  which  wound  its  way  through  the  shady  woods, 
he  was  on  the  alert  for  game.  He  had  brought  two 
sHces  of  coarse  dark  bread,  wrapped  in  paper  and 
pushed  into  one  of  his  pockets,  but  he  carried  nothing 
more  in  the  way  of  food,  since  it  would  have  been 
cumbersome,  and  he  knew  he  could  always  shoot 
something. 

He  had  noted  the  gray  and  black  squirrels  that 
were  chirping  and  darting  among  the  upper  branches 
of  the  trees,  sometimes  coming  near  enough  to  be  hit 
with  a  stone,  provided  a  boy  could  throw  straight, 
and  he  decided  that  one  of  these  rodents  should  help 
make  up  his  midday  meal. 

Halting  in  the  path,  he  drew  back  the  hammer  of 
his  rifle,  and  peered  among  the  upper  branches.  He 
caught  glimpses  of  several,  and  with  his  weapon  half 
raised,  glanced  here  and  there  before  choosing  his 
game.  It  required  only  a  minute  or  so,  when  he 
suddenly  brought  his  gun  to  his  shoulder. 

He  had  selected  a  large  gray  squirrel,  which,  after 


Pushing  to  the  Northwest  17 

chattering  and  peeping  over  the  big,  upper  branch 
of  an  oak,  scampered  along  its  length  toward  the 
farther  end,  probably  with  the  intention  of  making 
a  flying  leap  to  the  Hmb  of  another  tree. 

It  would  have  been  a  good  shot  for  you  or  me  to 
have  sent  a  bullet  through  the  body  of  the  creature, 
and  a  much  better  one  could  we  have  struck  the  little 
animal  in  the  head;  but  Auric  Kingdon  would  have 
been  disgusted  with  such  an  exploit.  More  than  one 
western  pioneer  has  chastised  his  boy  for  making  it. 
Instead  of  aiming  at  the  squirrel.  Auric  drove  the 
bullet  just  beneath  his  body,  so  as  to  spHnter  the 
bark  of  the  Hmb,  which  was  hurled  upward  with  such 
force  that  the  concussion  killed  or  stunned  the  rodent, 
and  brought  it  tumbling  through'  the  leaves  to  the 
ground,  where  it  was  instantly  pounced  upon  by 
Zinc  and  laid  at  his  master's  feet.  This  is  called 
"barking"  a  squirrel,  and  prevents  any  breakage 
of  the  skin. 

Auric  did  not  forget  the  inflexible  law  of  all  hunters, 
which  is  to  reload  one's  weapon  after  firing  as  quickly 
as  it  is  possible  to  do  so.  He  did  not  stir  from  where 
he  had  halted  until  he  had  poured  the  powder  down 
the  barrel,  hammered  it  in  place  with  his  ramrod, 
shoved  the  bullet  on  top  of  that  and  filled  the  pan 
with  powder,  letting  the  hammer  down  again  in  place. 
Then,  carrying  the  weapon  in  a  trailing  position, 
he  walked  to  the  little  stream  he  had  in  mind,  and 


l8  Black  Partridge 

started  a  fire.  This  was  easily  done  with  the  help  of 
dry  twigs  and  leaves  and  his  flint  and  steel.  Then 
he  picked  up  the  squirrel  from  where  Zinc  had  again 
laid  it  at  his  feet.  It  was  soon  dressed  and  cleansed 
in  the  crystal  brook,  the  waste  portions  being  tossed 
to  the  greedy  Zinc,  who  was  °  always  hungry,  after 
which  the  sweet,  juicy  meat  was  skewered  with  green 
sticks  and  held  over  the  blaze,  where  it  was  soon 
burned  crisp  and  brown.  Having  blended  the  deh- 
cate  meat  with  his  hght  bread,  and  washed  it  down 
with  cold  water.  Auric  felt  that  he  had  made  a  meal 
fit  for  a  king.  He  sat  on  the  leafy  ground,  pushed 
out  his  sturdy  legs  in  front  of  him,  and  with  his  back 
against  a  goodly  sized  sapling  felt  glad  he  was  alive. 

The  youth  had  no  desire  for  sleep,  but  with  his 
perfect  health  and  rugged  strength,  he  luxuriated  in 
the  sensation  of  absolute  rest.  It  was  worth  getting 
tired  thus  to  enjoy  the  soothing  thrill  of  repose  of 
muscle  and  mind.  Zinc,  who,  if  tired,  quickly  re- 
covered himself,  was  oflF  again,  darting  among  the  trees, 
yelping  and  scurrying  hither  and  thither,  as  if  he 
never  had  had  so  much  fun  in  all  his  Ufe. 

Auric  was  reclining  in  the  posture  named,  with 
his  gun  across  his  legs  above  the  knees,  when  he  was 
startled  by  a  sudden  pecuharity  in  the  cries  of  his 
dog.  Instead  of  the  spasmodic  barking,  which  now 
and  then  broke  the  silence,  he  emitted  a  series  of 
short,  sharp  yelps  and  howls,  just  as  its  species  does, 


Pushing  to  the  Northwest  19 

if  injured,  as  when  being  run  over  by  a  heavy  vehicle 
which  does  not  instantly  kill  it. 

These  outcries  ceased  as  abruptly  as  they  had  be- 
gun. Wondering  what  they  could  mean,  and  fearing 
some  mishap  had  befallen  his  dog,  Auric  rose  to  his 
feet,  listened  a  moment,  and  then,  placing  his  thumb 
and  forefinger  between  his  lips,  emitted  a  whistle 
that  could  have  been  heard  a  mile  away.  It  was  the 
call  which  Zinc  had  never  failed  to  obey.  When 
therefore,  it  brought  no  response,  and  nothing  could 
be  heard  of  Zinc  dashing  through  the  forest,  he  was 
sure  that  something  had  gone  amiss  with  him. 

The  direction  whence  the  sounds  had  come  showed 
that  Zinc  was  either  on  the  trail  itself,  or  very  close 
to  it,  the  point  being  toward  Fort  Dearborn. 

"It  looks  as  if  the  poor  fellow  has  made  a  mistake 
and  attacked  too  big  an  animal,"  mused  Auric,  as  he 
strode  hurriedly  over  the  path;  "he  ought  to  have  had 
too  much  sense  for  that,  and  I  never  knew  him  do  a 
thing  of  the  kind  before  —  helloa!" 

In  turning  a  moderate  bend  in  the  trail.  Auric 
came  upon  the  unfortunate  Zinc.  He  lay  on  his  side 
as  dead  as  dead  could  be.  Nor  could  there  be  any 
question  as  to  the  means  that  had  brought  his  un- 
timely end.  He  had  been  pierced  by  an  Indian  arrow 
just  back  of  the  forelegs,  and  since  the  flint  was  driven 
clean  through  the  body,  leaving  the  feathered  end 
pointed  toward  the  sky,  the  death  of  the  poor  beast 


20  Black  Partridge 

had  been  so  sudden  that  he  was  given  barely  time 
for  two  or  three  frenzied  yelps. 

As  the  youth  paused  and  looked  down,  his  first 
shock  was  that  of  grief  over  the  sudden  death  of  Zinc. 
This  emotion  was  quickly  followed  by  flaming  indig- 
nation. 

"I  wish  I  knew  who  did  that!"  he  muttered,  grasp- 
ing his  gun  more  firmly,  and  glancing  in  turn  on  all 
sides,  in  quest  of  the  wretch  who  had  done  this  wrong. 
Could  he  have  caught  sight  of  him  and  been  assured 
of  his  guilt,  Auric  would  have  shot  him  down  with  no 
more  hesitation  than  had  been  shown  by  him  in  the 
slaying  of  Zinc. 

But,  though  the  criminal  could  not  have  been  far 
off,  not  a  glimpse  of  him  was  obtained.  The  thought 
that  probably  he  was  crouching  behind  the  trunk  of 
one  of  the  trees  was  exasperating  beyond  bearing. 
Auric  looked  not  once,  but  several  times.  He  even 
called  out  in  the  Winnebago  tongue,  though  he  could 
not  know  that  the  miscreant  belonged  to  that  tribe: 

"The  one  who  did  that  is  worse  than  the  cur  he 
killed!  He  is  a  coward,  who  dares  not  show  himself! 
If  he  is  not  a  squaw,  let  him  step  forth  and  have  it 
out  with  me!" 

It  cannot  be  known  whether  this  challenge  reached 
the  ears  for  which  it  was  intended.  If  it  did,  it  was 
not  accepted,  for  the  skulking  redskin  remained  in- 
visible.    Auric  waited  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then 


Pushing  to  the  Northwest  21 

gazed  at  the  body  of  his  canine  friend.  It  lay  in  the 
middle  of  the  trail,  with  the  shaft  of  the  arrow  point- 
ing straight  upward.  Stooping,  he  firmly  grasped 
the  missile  below  the  feathered  butt.  The  head  of 
flint,  being  barbed  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  with- 
drawal, did  not  yield  and  it  was  easy  to  lift  the  carcase. 
He  carried  it  a  few  paces  into  the  wood  and  gently  laid 
it  on  the  leaves. 

"Good-by,  Zinc,"  he  said  in  a  broken  voice. 

Returning  to  the  trail.  Auric  resumed  his  journey 
toward  the  northwest,  still  saddened,  but  more  angry 
than  sorrowful  because  of  the  outrage.  He  was 
mystified  that  the  Indian  should  remain  satisfied  with 
kilMng  his  dog:  it  would  seem  that  he  should  seek  the 
life  of  its  owner.     Perhaps  he  intended  to  do  so. 

You  may  be  sure  that  while  threading  his  course 
through  the  wilderness,  Auric  Kingdon  did  not  forget 
this  probabiUty.  He  had  learned  a  good  deal  of 
woodcraft,  and  he  called  into  play  all  the  knowledge 
at  his  command,  glancing  quickly  and  often  toward 
every  point  of  the  compass,  and  holding  himself  ready 
to  use  his  rifle  the  instant  the  need  arose. 

A  little  more  than  a  mile  from  the  spot  where  Zinc 
was  slain  the  path  made  a  gradual  rise  for  two  hun- 
dred yards  or  so.  The  section  was  comparatively 
free  from  undergrowth  and  the  trees  were  scattered. 
Auric,  therefore,  had  an  unusually  good  view  of  the 
trail  in  advance.     Believing  the  single  Indian  had  pre- 


22  Black  Partridge 

ceded  him,  he  studied  the  path  as  closely  as  he  could. 
His  suspicion  was  confirmed  by  his  detection  of  what 
seemed  to  be  the  prints  of  moccasins  that  had  recently 
passed  that  way.  He  might  have  been  mistaken  in 
his  behef,  but  because  of  it  he  gave  his  chief  attention 
to  the  front  instead  of  the  sides  and  rear. 

Auric  had  just  begun  the  ascent  of  the  moderate 
elevation,  when  he  saw  the  head  and  shoulders  of  an 
Indian  warrior  rising  to  view  as  he  came  up  the 
opposite  side  of  the  slope.  While  this  did  not  look 
as  if  the  stranger  was  the  one  whom  he  was  so  eager 
to  meet,  the  youth  believed  it  was  the  same.  If  so, 
he  had  hurried  forward  for  some  distance,  and  then 
turned  back,  so  as  to  make  it  appear  that  he  was 
proceeding  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Wayne. 

Our  young  friend  slackened  his  pace,  and  walked 
slowly.  Of  course  the  Indian  was  equally  quick  in  de- 
scrying him.  He  moved  with  a  dehberate  gait  until  on 
the  crest  of  the  elevation,  when  he  halted,  as  if  to  wait 
where  he  was  until  the  palefaced  youth  came  up  to  him. 

His  dress  and  appearance  showed  Auric  that  he 
was  a  Winnebago,  the  most  powerful  tribe  in  the 
neighborhood.  While  nearly  all  of  these  warriors 
were  provided  with  rifles  and  arms  similar  to  those 
of  the  white  men,  a  few  clung  to  the  ancient  bow  and 
arrow.  The  one  who  had  come  into  view  from  some- 
where was  thus  armed,  and  this  fact  made  Auric 
quite  sure  he  was  the  redskin  who  had  slain  the  dog. 


Pushing  to  the  Northwest  23 

Seeing  that  he  had  paused,  the  youth  did  the  same, 
and  the  two  stood  for  several  minutes  looking  at  each 
other,  one  seemingly  as  unwilling  to  advance  as  was 
his  friend  or  enemy,  as  the  case  might  prove  to  be. 
It  was  the  custom,  when  two  persons  of  the  respective 
races  confronted  each  other,  for  one  or  both  to  make 
signs  of  good-will  and  resume  their  mutual  approach. 

The  Winnebago  made  not  the  shghtest  move,  but 
stood  like  a  statue,  his  long  bow  grasped  in  his  left 
hand,  its  length  fully  equal  to  his  own  stature,  while 
he  stared  at  the  youth  as  if  trying  to  solve  to  what 
species  he  belonged.  The  strained  situation  could 
not  last,  and  Auric  made  a  gesture  with  one  of  his 
hands  as  if  beckoning  the  other  to  draw  near.  In- 
stead of  obeying  or  replying,  he  began  rapidly  adjust- 
ing an  arrow  to  his  bow. 

"That's  your  game,  is  it?"  muttered  Auric;  "it 
suits  me  better  than  anything  else." 

While  speaking,  he  brought  the  stock  of  his  gun 
to  his  shoulder  and  carefully  sighted  at  the  Indian, 
but  the  latter  anticipated  him.  Drawing  his  arrow 
to  a  head,  he  held  it  in  poise  only  for  a  second  or  two, 
when  he  let  fly.  The  missile  rose  high  in  air,  de- 
scribing its  graceful  parabola,  and,  curving  over, 
darted  downward.  As  it  struck  the  earth  it  buried 
its  head  in  the  ground  for  several  inches,  while  the 
shaft  and  the  feathered  end  trembled  for  a  moment 
from  the  power  of  the  impact. 


24  Black  Partridge 

But  at  no  time  was  Auric  Kingdon  in  danger.  The 
distance  was  too  great  to  be  traversed  by  the  arrow 
of  the  strongest  bow,  and  the  missile  fell  short  by 
fully  a  hundred  feet,  but  it  was  proof  of  the  wonderful 
aim  of  the  Winnebago  that  it  struck  in  an  exact  line 
with  the  youth.  Had  the  interval  been  less,  he 
assuredly  would  have  been  hit  unless  alert  enough  to 
dodge  the  missile. 

It  was  while  the  arrow  was  speeding  high  over 
head  that  Auric  pressed  the  trigger.  He  took  the 
best  aim  he  could,  and  probably  the  bullet  traversed 
more  than  the  intervening  distance,  but  it  was  too 
great  for  the  best  rifleman  to  cover  with  anything  Uke 
accuracy,  and  the  redskin  was  in  no  more  danger  of 
harm  from  the  shot  than  was  the  youth  himself  from 
the  arrow  of  the  Winnebago. 


CHAPTER  III 

WOODCRAFT 

Why  the  redskin  launched  his  arrow  at  Auric 
Kingdon  would  be  hard  to  explain,  unless  he  meant 
the  action  as  a  notice  of  enmity.  He  must  have  known 
that  the  space  separating  them  was  too  great  to  be 
covered  by  his  primitive  weapon,  and  was  also  aware 
that  the  flintlock  rifle,  although  far  more  effective  than 
the  bow,  was  incapable  of  accurate  aim  for  a  similar 
distance. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  one  trial  on  the  part  of  the  Winne- 
bago satisfied  him.  Hardly  had  his  arrow  dived  into 
the  earth,  when  he  whirled  about  and  dashed  down 
the  slope,  disappearing  within  the  same  minute  that 
brought  the  firing  of  the  gun  by  the  youth. 

It  was  a  striking  proof  of  the  training  of  Auric 
Kingdon  that,  although  eager  to  get  within  rifle  shot 
of  the  miscreant,  he  held  his  place  at  the  foot  of  the 
incline,  until  he  had  reloaded  his  gun  and  poured 
the  powder  into  the  pan.  Then,  carrying  the  weapon 
in  a  trailing  position,  he  ran  up  the  hill  at  his  best 
speed  and  he  was  one  of  the  fleetest  of  all  who  made 
their  home  at  Fort  Wayne. 

25 


26  Black  Partridge 

Brief  as  was  the  time  taken  in  the  ascent,  it  failed 
of  its  purpose.  Even  before  he  reached  the  crown  of 
the  summit,  he  learned  that  his  man  had  eluded  him. 
A  quick,  searching  glance  in  front  failed  to  show  a 
sign  of  him.  He  had  used  the  slight  interval  to  seek 
a  hiding  that  was  impenetrable. 

Instead  of  hurrying  down  the  hill,  Auric  stopped 
again  to  decide  upon  the  best  course  to  follow.  The 
situation  was  one  calling  for  the  highest  woodcraft. 
The  trail  once  more  entered  the  forest,  with  trees  and 
undergrowth  on  both  sides,  in  which  a  regiment  of 
men  might  have  concealed  themselves  with  little 
trouble.  His  enemy  was  somewhere  in  those  depths, 
watching  his  actions  and  awaiting  the  chance  for  a 
treacherous  attempt  against  his  life. 

As  matters  stood,  the  advantage  was  wholly  on  the 
side  of  the  Winnebago.  If  the  youth  passed  down 
the  path  and  pushed  toward  Fort  Dearborn,  he  must 
expose  himself  to  a  stealthy  shot  from  the  bow,  when 
the  distance  would  make  a  fatal  issue  certain.  Auric 
could  not  tell  where  his  foe  was  hiding,  while  that 
foe  would  observe  every  movement  made  by  him. 
It  would  therefore  be  inviting  his  own  death  to  push 
on  under  the  circumstances. 

Instead  of  doing  this,  Auric  faced  the  other  way 
and  moved  down  the  slope  at  a  rapid  walk.  He 
meant  to  give  his  enemy  the  impression  that  he  had 
decided  to  return  to  Fort  Wayne.    If  he  succeeded 


Woodcraft  27 

in  the  strategem,  the  Winnebago  might  be  tempted 
to  follow  with  the  hope  of  gaining  the  opportunity 
that  was  slipping  away  from  him. 

The  moment  Auric  was  certain  he  had  descended 
the  slope  far  enough  to  be  beyond  sight  of  the  warrior, 
he  darted  to  one  side  of  the  trail,  and,  going  a  few 
yards,  took  position  behind  the  trunk  of  an  ash  several 
feet  in  diameter.  Standing  thus,  he  softly  raised  the 
hammer  of  his  rifle  and  bided  his  time. 

''Now,  my  dusky  friend,  if  you  will  give  me  the 
same  chance  I  gave  you  when  you  shot  poor  Zinc, 
I'll  be  obliged." 

But  if  the  Winnebago  had  let  slip  one  golden  oppor- 
tunity, he  was  no  fool.  He  knew  too  much  to  walk 
into  the  trap  set  for  him.  He  must  have  suspected 
the  ruse  of  the  youth,  for  the  wearisome  minutes  wore 
on  and  the  eyes  that  were  scanning  the  summit  of  the 
elevation  saw  nothing  of  the  painted  face  and  feathers. 
The  time  came  when  Auric  was  compelled  to  admit 
that  his  trick  had  miscarried. 

"Now,  if  he  only  knew  where  /  am  standing,"  he 
reflected,  "he  might  be  able  to  turn  the  tables  on  me." 

The  young  woodman  gave  another  proof  of  his  skill 
in  seeing  the  possibility  of  such  a  result  and  in  guard- 
ing against  it.  Thus,  if  the  warrior  could  learn  on 
which  side  of  the  trail  his  foe  was  waiting  for  him, 
it  would  be  easy  to  make  a  long  circuit  and  steal  upon 
the  youth  from  the  rear.    While  there  seemed  to  be 


28  Black  Partridge 

no  means  by  which  he  could  gain  such  knowledge, 
Auric  asked  himself: 

"Suppose  he  makes  a  guess  and  hits  it  the  first 
time;  or  suppose  he  sneaks  up  from  the  other  side, 
and,  failing  to  find  me,  learns  that  I  am  somewhere 
on  this  side." 

It  was  a  most  uncomforting  theory,  and,  when  an 
hour  had  passed  without  bringing  sight  or  sound  of 
the  Winnebago,  and  the  frequent  glances  which  the 
lad  cast  behind  him  failed  to  give  him  any  knowledge, 
he  became  morally  certain  that  the  very  strategy  he 
feared,  was  on  foot.  Thus  it  came  about  that  he  gave 
as  much  attention  to  the  woods  behind  him  as  those 
in  front. 

Still  another  hour  passed  equally  fruidess  of  results, 
when  Auric  decided  to  tarry  no  longer.  He  had 
already  lost  so  much  time  that  he  would  have  to  use 
haste  for  a  part  of  the  distance  in  order  to  reach  the 
meeting-place  in  time,  though,  if  he  should  be  some- 
what late,  it  would  make  no  real  difference. 

"If  he  is  prowHng  among  the  trees  I  shall  be  as 
able  to  catch  sight  of  him  as  he  will  of  me,  provided 
I  don't  walk  straight  up  to  him  before  I  find  out 
where  he  is  hiding." 

To  avert  this  danger,  Auric,  instead  of  taking  a 
course  at  right  angles  to  the  path,  turned  sharply  to 
the  southeast.  If  his  enemy  were  really  trying  to  steal 
upon  him  from  the  rear,  this  course  would  allow  the 


Woodcraft  29 

youth  to  flank  him,  and  either  come  upon  him  from 
behind  or  pass  him  altogether.  His  intention  was  to 
return  to  the  trail  at  a  point  so  far  beyond  where  he 
had  left  it,  that  he  could  feel  certain  of  being  between 
the  Winnebago  and  Fort  Dearborn. 

The  plan  was  carried  out  without  hindrance.  Auric 
continued  picking  his  way  to  the  eastward  until  he 
was  nearly  a  mile  from  the  path,  when  he  turned 
again  so  that  his  course  became  almost  parallel  to  it. 
He  decided,  after  keeping  this  up  for  some  time  and 
observing  that  the  afternoon  was  far  along,  that  he 
would  not  re-enter  the  trail  until  the  morrow.  By 
that  time  he  would  be  so  well  clear  of  the  prowling 
warrior  that  he  need  give  him  no  further  thought. 

The  occurrence  made  the  youth  thoughtful.  It 
was  known  at  Fort  Wayne  that  there  had  been  an 
outbreak  of  the  Indians  near  Fort  Dearborn  in  the 
previous  April,  during  which  a  family  was  killed  a 
short  distance  from  the  fort,  but  the  prompt  display 
of  force  by  the  garrison  had  awed  the  hostiles,  since 
which  time,  so  far  as  Auric  knew,  there  had  been  no 
trouble. 

He  could  not  beUeve  there  was  any  danger  of  a 
general  uprising  of  the  redskins,  though  the  declara- 
tion of  war  might  hasten  such  a  calamity.  He  looked 
upon  the  encounter  with  the  Winnebago  as  an  inci- 
dent by  itself.  With  the  natural  inchnation  to  evil 
which  belonged  to  that  race,  this  vagrant  could  not 


30  Black  Partridge 

withstand  the  temptation  to  slay  the  dog  and  to  seek 
the  death  of  its  master.  His  tribe  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  matter,  and  once  clear  of  all  peril  from  him, 
Auric  believed  or  rather  tried  to  believe  he  would 
have  no  more  trouble.  In  reaching  this  conclusion, 
he  was  influenced  very  much  by  his  naturally  buoyant 
spirits  and  hopeful  disposition. 

When  the  sun  was  in  the  horizon,  he  decided  to 
advance  no  farther,  but  to  encamp  where  he  was, 
starting  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morning.  He  was 
among  the  trees,  where  the  undergrowth  was  dense, 
and  had  little  fear  of  discovery.  Possibly  the  Winne- 
bago might  try  to  follow  his  trail,  but  that  would  be 
hard  work  for  him.  Knowing  that  the  youth  would 
be  on  the  guard  against  it,  the  Indian  would  have  to 
place  himself  in  much  danger  from  the  rifle  that  the 
lad  carried  ready  at  all  times  for  instant  use.  Although 
he  often  glanced  to  the  rear  pausing  and  listening, 
he  did  not  discover  the  slightest  cause  for  misgiving, 
and  finally  dismissed  it  from  his  mind. 

The  place  where  Auric  Kingdon  halted  was  beside 
a  small  stream  that  was  nothing  more  than  a  brook. 
The  water  was  cool  and  clear,  and  the  slightly  slop- 
ing bank,  with  its  blanket  of  leaves,  made  the  best 
couch  he  could  ask  for.  He  might  have  shot  some 
kind  of  game,  had  he  hunted  for  it,  but  he  chose  not 
to  do  so.  He  had  learned  long  before  that,  despite 
his  vigorous  appetite,  it  was  often  wise  for  him  to 


Woodcraft  31 

disregard  his  hunger.  The  midday  meal  of  bread 
and  broiled  squirrel  was  sufficient  for  twenty-four 
hours.  In  order  to  secure  food,  he  would  have  to 
fire  his  rifle,  and  afterward  start  a  fire.  In  the  cir- 
cumstances, it  was  dangerous  to  do  either.  The  re- 
port of  the  gun  would  be  Hkely  to  draw  enemies  to 
the  spot,  and  the  smoke  and  gleam  of  the  fire  would 
be  the  best  kind  of  beacon  for  any  redskins  seeking 
his  life. 

The  heat  of  the  camp-fire  would  have  been  un- 
pleasant during  the  day,  which  had  been  hot  and 
sultry.  A  natural  coolness  followed  with  the  coming 
of  night,  but,  though  the  youth  was  without  any 
blanket  or  extra  covering,  he  had  no  need  of  anything 
of  that  nature.  He  was  strong,  rugged,  and  tired, 
and  closing  his  eyes,  while  the  gloom  was  steaHng 
through  the  wood,  he  did  not  open  them  again  until 
the  gray  of  early  morning  proclaimed  a  new  day. 

Auric  bathed  his  face  and  hands  in  the  cool  brook, 
drank  deeply  from  it,  and,  after  the  prayer  which  he 
never  forgot  when  lying  down  or  rising,  he  rested  his 
rifle  over  his  shoulder,  leaped  lightly  across  the  stream- 
let, and  resumed  his  journey  to  Fort  Dearborn. 

"I  have  lost  two  or  three  hours,"  he  reflected,  as 
he  bore  to  the  left,  "but  it  won't  make  much  difference. 
I  have  a  couple  of  days  in  which  to  make  up  the  loss, 
and  if  I  do  keep  Jethro  waiting,  it  won't  hurt  him. 
Gracious  ah ve !  but  ain't  I  hungry  ?  " 


32  Black  Partridge 

When  a  little  while  later  he  heard  the  gobbHng  of 
turkeys,  he  felt  that  the  chance  was  too  good  to  throw 
away.  SteaUng  softly  among  the  trees  to  the  right, 
he  quickly  came  upon  one  of  the  favorite  roosting 
places  of  the  birds.  With  the  coming  of  darkness, 
hundreds  gathered  at  a  natural  clearing  of  several 
acres  in  extent,  on  the  farther  side  of  which  were  a 
half  dozen  spreading  beeches,  in  whose  branches  the 
turkeys  spent  the  night,  scattering  in  the  morning  to 
hunt  for  food,  and  returning  again  to  their  sleeping 
quarters  with  the  coming  of  darkness.  Like  all  such 
creatures  they  lived  up  to  the  maxim  of  "early  to  bed 
and  early  to  rise,"  and,  although  the  sun  was  hardly 
above  the  horizon,  most  of  them  had  already  dis- 
persed for  the  day. 

Nothing  in  the  world  could  have  been  easier  than 
for  the  young  hunter  to  bring  down  a  plump,  half- 
grown  hen.  The  crack  of  the  rifle  and  the  vanish- 
ment of  the  head  of  the  victim  were  so  instant  that  the 
other  fowls  did  not  understand  it,  and  merely  looked 
around  without  any  fear;  but  when  the  youth  strode 
from  behind  the  oak  that  had  shielded  him  while 
aiming,  they  scattered  in  a  panic. 

Times  without  number  he  had  provided  himself 
with  meals  in  this  way,  and  it  did  not  take  him  long 
to  dress  the  bird  and  broil  all  that  he  could  eat.  That 
being  done,  he  rose  to  his  feet  with  a  sigh  of  content. 

"That  will  serve  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  maybe 


Woodcraft  ^^ 

longer  than  that;  it  won't  do  for  me  to  loaf  until  I 
get  farther  along  the  trail." 

That  his  calculations  were  right  was  proved  within 
the  following  half  hour,  when  he  came  back  to  the 
trail  at  the  spot  which  he  had  fixed  in  his  mind.  With 
his  strong  memory  of  places  and  his  woodcraft,  he 
had  not  gone  astray  for  so  much  as  a  rod.  He  knew 
as  well  where  he  was  as  if  on  the  parade  ground  at 
Fort  Wayne  or  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Kinzie  at  Fort 
Dearborn. 

Auric  stood  for  some  minutes  glancing  up  and 
down  the  clearly  marked  path.  He  did  not  catch  a 
glimpse  of  a  hving  thing,  and  the  forest  was  still.  But 
he  did  not  need  to  be  told  that  the  great  wilderness, 
stretching  in  every  direction,  was  seething  with  animal 
life,  and  that  thousands  of  vengeful  red  men  were 
roaming  to  and  fro  in  their  depths,  eager  for  a  chance 
to  wreak  their  hatred  upon  the  palefaces  who  had 
come  across  the  vast  water  and  stolen  their  hunting 
grounds  from  them. 

It  is  said  that  every  one  can  become  accustomed 
to  any  kind  of  peril,  and  it  was  with  no  misgiving 
that  Auric  struck  off  to  the  northwest,  with  his  long, 
sweeping  stride,  which  he  could  maintain  hour  after 
hour  without  fatigue.  He  was  glad  to  observe  that 
the  sky  was  overcast.  The  air  was  close  and  oppres- 
sive, and  he  would  have  been  much  more  uncomfort- 
able had  he  been  exposed  to  the  burning  rays  of  the 


34  Black  Partridge 

sun,  for  in  many  places,  the  trail  led  across  plains  where 
there  was  no  protection  from  the  scorching  rays. 

Auric  held  to  his  sturdy  gait  for  several  hours,  and 
was  sure  he  had  regained  most  of  the  distance  lost  the 
day  before.  His  frequent  glances  to  the  rear  and 
among  the  trees  on  his  right  and  left  revealed  nothing 
to  cause  alarm.  He  had  long  given  over  all  thought 
of  the  vagrant  who  shot  his  dog,  and  was  making  his 
way  through  a  stretch  of  wood,  where  the  under- 
growth was  more  abundant  than  usual,  when  he 
received  a  second  shock. 

Without  the  slightest  warning,  a  mounted  Indian 
warrior  rode  into  view  from  the  opposite  direction. 
His  pony  was  small  and  dark  of  color,  without  saddle 
and  with  only  a  twisted  piece  of  deer  hide  looped 
about  his  nose  for  a  bridle.  Four  other  warriors, 
similarly  mounted,  came  into  sight,  as  their  leader 
slowed  his  pace  and  brought  his  animal  to  a  halt  within 
a  few  paces  of  where  Auric  had  stepped  aside  from 
the  trail,  and  waited  for  them  to  pass. 

The  significant  fact  about  this  party  of  redskins 
was  that  all  were  in  their  war  paint.  Their  faces 
were  daubed  with  lines  and  circles  and  splotches  that 
intensified  their  ugliness.  One  not  accustomed  to 
such  sights  would  have  been  terrified  by  the  picture, 
for  each  Indian  looked  as  if  he  were  wearing  a  hideous 
false  face,  with  little  or  no  resemblance  to  the  human 
countenance.  \ 


Meeting  Big  Wolf 


Page  34 


Woodcraft  35 

The  instant  Auric  caught  sight  of  the  first  warrior, 
he  recognized  him.  This  was  not  in  spite  of  his 
painted  visage  but  because  of  it.  One  of  his  fancies, 
even  when  he  did  not  proclaim  himself  upon  the 
war  path,  was  to  mark  three  small  circles  in  white 
paint  on  his  low,  broad  forehead.  Within  each  circle 
he  made  several  dabs  in  yellow.  Thus  the  two  colors 
had  a  coppery  background  and  stood  out  in  such 
rehef  that  they  caught  the  eye  as  soon  as  one  saw  the 
Indian  himself. 

It  was  because  of  what  has  just  been  told  that  Auric 
Kingdon  recognized  the  leader  of  the  five  as  a  Winne- 
bago chief,  known  among  the  whites  as  Big  Wolf. 
He  occasionally  visited  Fort  Wayne  and  Dearborn, 
and  was  not  a  favorite  at  either  place.  He  was  sullen, 
and  many  believed  he  was  treacherous.  Now  and 
then  a  scout  or  hunter  who  left  one  of  the  posts  and 
went  into  the  woods  never  came  out  again.  Perhaps 
months  afterward  some  of  his  friends  would  come 
upon  the  skeleton  and  tattered  rags  in  the  depth  of 
the  wilderness,  with  the  tell-tale  marks  that  showed 
he  had  not  only  been  shot  down,  but  had  been  bar- 
barously scalped  by  his  enemy. 

Precisely  why  such  crimes  were  laid  to  Big  Wolf 
would  be  hard  to  explain.  But  such  was  the  fact  in 
almost  every  instance,  though  no  real  proof  was 
brought  forward.  Probably  it  was  due  to  his  sour 
disposition. 


36  Black  Partridge 

Auric  Kingdon  had  always  treated  Big  Wolf  well, 
but  he  did  that  with  every  Indian  who  did  not  insist 
upon  being  an  enemy.  The  youth,  however,  shared 
the  distrust  of  his  friends  regarding  the  sullen  redskin, 
and  never  sought  his  special  friendship,  as  he  did 
in  the  case  of  Black  Partridge  and  other  sachems  and 


CHAPTER  IV 

ON  THE   SHORE 

Every  one  of  the  Winnebagoes  held  a  rifle  across 
his  thighs  as  he  sat  his  pony.  In  addition,  the 
handle  of  a  knife  and  of  a  tomahawk  showed  in  the 
girdle  about  his  waist.  All  were  fully  armed  and  ready 
for  whatever  might  come. 

If  Auric  Kingdon  felt  a  Htde  quicker  beating  of 
the  heart,  when  he  faced  this  motley  company, 
he  did  not  show  it  by  look  or  manner.  Having 
made  room  for  the  horsemen  to  pass  without  turn- 
ing aside,  he  looked  up  in  the  repellent  counte- 
nance of  Big  Wolf,  as  he  checked  his  animal,  and 
made  him  a  military  salute.  He  was  excusable  for 
then  using  the  insincere  terms  common  on  such 
occasions. 

"I  am  glad  to  meet  my  brother,  Big  Wolf  and  his 
warriors." 

The  words  were  spoken  in  the  tongue  of  the  Indian, 
and  you  will  bear  in  mind  that  that  which  follows  is  a 
liberal  translation  of  the  sentences  uttered  by  each. 
The  sachem  made  no  returning  salute,  but  asked  in 
a  gruff,  sullen  voice: 

37 


38  Black  Partridge 

"Where  is  the  paleface  going  that  he  is  alone  in 
the  woods?" 

"I  am  on  my  way  to  Fort  Dearborn." 

"Why  does  my  brother  go  there?" 

Auric  would  have  been  glad  to  reply  that  it  was  no 
business  of  the  Winnebago  why  he  chose  to  go  there 
or  anywhere  else,  but  such  answer  would  have  been 
the  height  of  unwisdom. 

"Big  Wolf  has  seen  my  friend  at  Fort  Wayne  when 
he  came  to  visit  me;  I  go  to  Fort  Dearborn  to  make 
him  a  visit." 

While  the  situation  which  immediately  followed 
may  have  had  no  special  meaning,  it  was  trying  to 
the  last  degree  to  Auric.  You  will  remember  that 
the  five  horsemen  were  sitting  motionless  on  their 
animals,  who  stood  in  Indian  file,  one  directly  behind 
the  other.  The  four  warriors  had  not  spoken  a  word, 
but  each  pair  of  black,  piercing  eyes  was  bent  upon 
the  youth,  standing  at  the  side  of  the  trail  and  looking 
up  at  the  leader,  with  now  and  then  a  flitting  glance 
at  his  companions.  Big  Wolf,  instead  of  immediately 
speaking  to  the  last  remark  of  the  youth,  sat  as  motion- 
less as  one  of  the  tree  trunks  at  the  side  of  the  trail. 
While  doing  so,  he  looked  fixedly  into  the  handsome 
face  of  the  lad.  Picture,  if  you  can,  the  high  cheek- 
bones, the  broad  mouth,  the  low  forehead,  with  the 
coarse  black  hair  dangUng  about  the  brawny  shoulders, 
and,  above  all,  the  horrible  daubs  of  different  colored 


On  the  Shore  39 

paint  spread  over  the  ugly  features,  and  you  will  have 
a  good  idea  of  the  redskin  who  confronted  the  youth. 

So  long  as  the  two  kept  up  a  conversation  there 
was  nothing  specially  disagreeable  in  the  situation  of 
our  young  friend;  but  when  Big  Wolf  stopped  speak- 
ing, and,  sitting  hke  an  equestrian  statue,  kept  his 
gUttering  eyes  centred  on  the  countenance  of  the 
youth,  the  latter's  nerves  were  put  on  edge. 

Of  what  was  the  sachem  thinking?  What  was  his 
purpose  in  subjecting  Auric  to  such  an  ordeal?  Was 
he  asking  himself  what  he  should  do  with  this  pale- 
face who  was  completely  in  his  power?  Was  he 
playing  with  him  as  a  cat  plays  with  a  mouse  before 
crunching  it  in  her  jaws?  Would  he  suddenly  break 
forth  like  a  volcano  in  his  consuming  wrath? 
'  With  all  his  coolness,  courage  and  nerve.  Auric 
knew  he  could  not  stand  the  tension  much  longer. 
He  looked  into  the  frightful  visage,  and  felt  as  he 
imagined  a  person  feels  when  fascinated  by  the  ghtter 
of  the  coiled  rattlesnake  close  to  his  face. 

But  Auric  was  not  "charmed"  in  the  shghtest 
degree;  he  was  simply  puzzled  by  the  question  as  to 
the  best  means  of  ending  an  intolerable  situation. 
He  suspected  that  the  chief  was  testing  him,  and  to 
fail  to  return  his  burning  gaze  would  be  a  confession 
of  defeat.  With  a  cleverness  that  would  have  done 
credit  to  a  veteran.  Auric  removed  his  cap,  took  the 
small  handkerchief  from  where  he  carried  it  in  the 


40  Black  Partridge 

crown,  and  deliberately  mopped  his  moist  forehead. 
This  made  it  appropriate  to  look  at  the  piece  of  Ump 
linen,  after  passing  it  over  his  crimsoned  features. 
Tossing  it  back  in  the  cap,  he  held  the  latter  so  as  to 
use  it  as  a  fan  —  and  it  was  a  poor  enough  one  — 
and,  glancing  up  at  Big  Wolf  and  then  into  the  faces 
of  his  warriors,  he  said  with  a  smile: 

"Whew!  but  it's  warm!  It  is  harder  for  me  to 
walk  than  for  you  to  ride;  I  suppose  my  brothers  are 
going  to  Fort  Wayne?" 

This  lifted  the  tenseness  of  the  situation.  Big 
Wolf  ceased  his  burning  stare  and  said,  still  in  his 
sullen  voice: 

"My  brother  should  go  with  us  to  his  own  home." 

"Not  until  after  I  have  visited  my  friends,  and  our 
hearts  have  been  made  glad  by  sight  of  each  other; 
tell  them  at  Fort  Wayne  you  met  me  on  the  road, 
but  we  had  not  time  to  talk  much  together." 

And  then  what  did  Auric  Kingdon  do  but  make 
another  miUtary  salute,  return  his  cap  to  its  place  on 
his  crown,  step  aside  a  little  farther,  and  resume  his 
walk  toward  Fort  Dearborn.  The  act  signified  that 
he  had  not  the  leisure  to  continue  the  interview,  no 
matter  how  pleasant  he  found  it  to  be.  It  was  a  piece 
of  daring,  but  the  youth  had  seized  the  psychological 
moment  and  turned  it  to  the  best  account. 

Brave  men  who  have  been  through  the  ordeal  say 
that   the   most   nerve-wrenching   situation   in    which 


On  the  Shore  41 

one  can  be  placed  is  that  of  turning  his  back  on  an 
enemy,  and,  while  expecting  to  be  fired  upon  at  any 
moment,  show  not  the  slightest  fear  of  such  an  occur- 
rence. A  famous  naval  officer  tells  of  landing  upon  a 
beach,  and  walking  a  number  of  rods,  with  his  back  to 
the  foe  and  confident  every  instant  of  being  shot.  The 
temptation  to  drop  all  dignity  and  break  into  a  headlong 
run,  with  grotesque  dodgings  from  side  to  side,  is  almost 
irresistible.  Few  indeed  are  able  to  withstand  the  long- 
ing to  make  frantic  efforts  after  safety. 

Auric  kept  at  the  side  of  the  trail  until  several  paces 
beyond  the  last  horseman,  when  he  stepped  back 
into  the  path,  and  continued  his  walk  in  the  opposite 
direction  to  that  which  the  Winnebagoes  were  follow- 
ing. Had  he  broken  into  a  run,  or  dashed  among  the 
trees  and  scurried  away,  it  would  have  been  proof 
of  his  terror,  and  invited  the  consequences  he  was 
so  anxious  to  escape.  Brief  as  was  the  time,  it  seemed 
hours.  Only  by  a  terrific  effort  of  his  will  could  he 
master  himself.  He  shut  his  lips,  held  his  breath, 
and  walked  as  he  was  walking  before  he  saw  Big 
Wolf  and  his  warriors.  The  perspiration  that  covered 
his  body  was  cold;  a  strange,  crinkling  thrill  ran  up 
and  down  his  spine,  and  made  his  eyes  flicker,  as  he 
expected  each  instant  to  hear  the  sharp  crack  of  one 
or  more  of  the  Indian  rifles,  and  to  feel  the  fatal 
electric  pang  in  head  or  body,  for  the  moment  before 
gasping  out  his  life. 


42  Black  Partridge 

Why  did  they  not  fire?  Why  did  not  Big  Wolf 
shout,  commanding  him  to  return  or  to  stand  still? 
Why  did  they  not  ride  him  down  and  end  his  misery? 

Step  followed  step  until  he  had  traversed  fifty  yards, 
and  still  not  a  sound  came  from  the  danger  point  be- 
hind him.  Hope  began  to  grow,  and  with  it  was 
mingled  wonder,  for  he  could  not  explain  the  action, 
or  rather  inaction,  of  Big  Wolf  and  his  little  company. 

Suddenly  Auric's  temptation  took  a  new  form:  he 
felt  that  he  must  look  around.  Surely  there  could  be 
nothing  in  such  action  to  tempt  the  red  men.  If 
they  were  gazing  at  him  he  would  gaily  salute  and 
resume  his  dignified  walk.  Unlike  his  former  long- 
ing, this  one  overmastered  him.  Without  checking 
his  gait  he  turned  his  head  and  peered  over  his  shoulder 
at  the  point  where  he  had  met  the  litde  war  party. 

The  redskins  had  resumed  their  journey,  and 
were  out  of  sight. 

Auric  shivered,  and  for  the  moment  was  faint  be- 
cause of  the  reaction  from  the  intensity  of  fear  to  the 
assurance  of  safety. 

"I  don't  understand  it,  and  I  don't  beheve  I  ever 
shall  understand  it,"  he  whispered,  walking  unsteadily 
for  a  few  minutes.  Then  an  odd  doubt  began  com- 
ing to  him.  He  looked  back  again  and  again ;  he  would 
take  a  few  steps  and  then  turn  his  head;  after  a  time, 
unable  to  shake  off  his  distrust,  he  halted,  faced  about, 
and  stared  over  the  trail  for  several  seconds,  during 


On  the  Shore  43 

which  he  held  his  breath  and  gazed  with  unshakable 
steadiness. 

"What's  the  use?"  he  asked  himself  with  a  nervous 
laugh;  "if  they  were  there  I  should  see  them;  I've 
looked  and  looked  again  and  they  are  not  there. 
Heavens!  I  know  what  it  means!" 

He  broke  into  a  run,  and  dashed  over  the  trail 
at  his  highest  speed,  without  halt  or  check,  until 
he  had  sped  a  half  mile  and  was  panting  from  the 
labor.  Then  he  stopped  as  abruptly  as  he  had 
started. 

"I'm  the  biggest  fool  in  the  Territory!  What  put 
such  a  notion  in  my  head?" 

The  fancy  that  had  thrown  him  into  a  panic  was 
that  the  five  horsemen  had  turned  their  animals  into 
the  woods  at  the  side  of  the  trail,  and  were  riding  at 
full  speed  toward  Fort  Dearborn,  with  the  purpose 
of  cutting  him  off,  and  either  making  him  a  prisoner 
or  putting  him  to  the  torture.  It  was  not  until  he  had 
run  the  distance  named  that  the  idiocy  of  the  whole 
thing  broke  upon  him. 

It  was  impossible  in  the  first  place  for  any  horse  to 
force  his  way  through  the  forest  on  either  side  of  the 
trail.  While  there  were  a  few  open  spaces,  most  of 
it  was  so  close  as  to  be  impassable  for  ponies  like  those 
ridden  by  the  Winnebagoes.  Then  why  should  they 
take  to  the  woods  when  they  could  overhaul  him  far 
better  by  keeping  to  the  trail,  and  why,  if  they  had 


44  Black  Partridge 

anything  of  the  kind  in  mind,  had  they  allowed  him 
to  walk  away  as  he  had  done? 

The  excuse  for  such  wild  whims  was  the  mental 
strain  to  which  the  youth  had  been  subjected.  When 
he  had  time  to  regain  something  of  self-control  he 
could  afford  to  laugh  at  his  fancies.  None  the  less 
he  was  not  clear  as  to  the  explanation  of  the  actions 
of  Big  Wolf.  When  he  gained  a  chance  to  talk  with 
those  who  were  older  and  better  versed  in  the  ways 
of  red  men,  Auric  was  told  that  the  sullen  Winnebago 
had  been  restrained  simply  by  fear  from  doing  him 
harm.  It  was  known  that  the  chief  had  left  Fort 
Dearborn  a  couple  of  days  before,  and  that  he  must 
have  met  Auric  Elingdon  on  the  road.  Thus  the  prob- 
abiHty  of  the  crime  of  murder  being  brought  home  to 
him  alone  prevented  the  sachem  from  committing  it. 

Although  Auric  was  inexpressibly  relieved,  when 
an  hour  had  passed,  during  which  he  continued  push- 
ing toward  the  northwest  without  sight  or  sign  of  Big 
Wolf  and  his  warriors,  he  could  not  wholly  free  him- 
self from  misgiving  that  they  had  some  scheme  in 
mind  whose  nature  was  unsuspected  by  him.  He 
held  himself  ready  to  dart  into  the  protection  of  the 
wood  at  the  first  gUmpse  of  them,  no  matter  how  far 
to  the  rear,  and  he  kept  a  brisk  pace  throughout  most 
of  the  day,  halting  only  long  enough  to  drink  from  the 
brooks  which  he  crossed.  He  had  ferried  himself 
over  the  Wabash  by  means  of  a  raft,  and  in  the  course 


On  the  Shore  45 

of  his  journey  had  to  do  the  same  with  other  streams 
of  considerable  size. 

The  cloudiness,  observed  earher  in  the  day,  in- 
creased, and  when  the  afternoon  was  half  gone  a 
smart  sprinkling  of  rain  fell.  He  gave  no  heed  to  it, 
for  the  coolness  was  agreeable  and  he  did  not  check 
his  progress  until  night  began  closing  in.  He  had 
covered  a  good  many  miles,  and  was  not  only  hungry 
but  very  tired.  None  the  less  he  would  have  kept 
going  for  hours  after  the  close  of  day,  but  for  the 
darkness.  The  clouds  shut  out  the  moon  and  star 
gleam,  and  he  was  not  famihar  enough  with  the  trail 
to  make  much  use  of  it  except  when  the  sun  was 
shining.  So  he  hunted  out  the  best  place  he  could 
find  in  the  gloom  —  and  any  spot  was  good  enough 
to  serve  him  —  and,  lying  down  a  short  distance 
from  the  path,  he  slept  without  disturbance  until 
daylight. 

On  this  day  he  did  not  see  a  single  Indian,  but  the 
smoke  of  a  camp-fire  far  to  the  north  reminded  him 
that  others  beside  himself  were  abroad,  and  he  was 
ever  on  the  alert.  Thus  pushing  on,  always  vigilant, 
ever  hopeful,  and  prepared  as  well  as  he  could  be 
for  anything  that  might  confront  him,  he  saw  from 
famihar  signs  on  the  fourth  day  that  he  was  near 
Lake  Michigan.  When  he  listened  he  heard  the 
solemn  murmur  of  the  waves  of  the  inland  sea,  and 
his  heart  glowed  at  the  thought  that  in  a  short  time 


46  Black  Partridge 

he  and  Jethro  Judd  would  be  paddling  northward 
over  its  surface  toward  Fort  Dearborn. 

Despite  his  efforts,  he  saw  from  the  landmarks  that 
he  was  two  or  three  hours  behind  time.  It  was  always 
understood  by  him  and  his  friend  that  they  should 
come  together  very  near  noon,  on  the  days  appointed 
for  their  meeting.  Judd  had  to  spend  one  night  on 
the  way  thither,  and  he  could  readily  paddle  the  re- 
maining distance  on  the  forenoon  of  the  second  day. 
As  has  been  shown,  it  was  equally  easy  for  Auric  to 
time  his  progress,  and,  but  for  the  interruptions  of 
which  we  have  learned,  would  have  reached  the  spot 
as  soon  as  his  comrade.  On  one  occasion  they  hit  it 
so  closely  that  as  Auric  emerged  from  the  woods, 
Jethro  was  running  the  nose  of  his  boat  up  the  shingle. 
In  the  instance  immediately  before  the  present,  the 
interval  between  their  respective  arrivals  was  less 
than  half  an  hour. 

"I  know  he'll  be  mad,"  chuckled  Auric,  as  he  un- 
consciously hastened  his  footsteps,  "but  father  has 
told  me  many  times  that  we  should  never  find  fault 
with  another  for  not  keeping  an  engagement  or  promise 
until  we  have  heard  his  explanation.  If  Jet  tries  to 
scold  me,  I'll  fling  that  at  him," 

A  few  minutes  later,  our  young  friend  came  out  of 
the  forest  at  the  point  that  was  so  familiar  to  him,  and 
with  a  swelling  heart  gazed  ofif  over  the  immense  body 
of  water  stretching  to  the  north  far  beyond  the  utmost 


On  the  Shore  47 

reach  of  his  vision.  The  first  sight  of  the  lake  always 
impressed  him.  He  loved  to  stand  on  the  beach, 
with  the  cool  wind  fanning  his  face,  to  watch  the  tum- 
bhng  waves  at  his  feet,  and  to  trace  as  far  as  his  keen 
eyes  were  able  to  trace  the  wooded  shores  to  the 
right  and  left  until  they  faded  from  sight  in  the  dim 
distance.  When  he  had  enjoyed  this  for  a  time,  he 
gazed  ofif  over  the  inland  sea,  sometimes  watching  the 
white  caps  when  the  wind  was  brisk,  and  admiring  the 
crystalline  clearness  of  the  water,  which,  because  of 
its  freshness,  is  subject  to  quicker  and  more  violent 
disturbances  than  the  ocean.  With  his  active  imagina- 
tion he  pictured  the  first  sight  by  white  men  of  this 
magnificent  chain  of  lakes,  of  wonderful  Niagara, 
and  the  terrific  outbursts  of  wrath  which  sometimes 
take  place  on  the  waters. 

But  just  now  Auric  did  not  feel  in  a  romantic  mood. 
He  was  hungrier  than  he  had  been  at  any  time  since 
leaving  Fort  Wayne.  It  was  the  custom  of  Jethro 
to  bring  a  generous  supply  of  delicacies,  in  the  form 
of  cake  and  broiled  chicken  or  venison,  and  our  young 
friend  was  thinking  more  of  them  than  of  the  beauties 
of  nature  around  him.  After  he  had  satisfied  his 
hunger  he  would  probably  feel  more  poetical. 

It  did  not  take  Auric  long  to  make  a  most  displeas- 
ing discovery:  his  friend  had  not  arrived,  and  a  careful 
scanning  of  all  the  visible  portion  of  the  lake  failed 
to  show  anything  resembhng  a  canoe.     Jethro  always 


48  Black  Partridge 

drew  his  boat  up  the  beach  at  a  certain  point.  Fail- 
ing to  see  the  dainty  craft  there,  Auric  made  an  ex- 
tended search  along  shore  in  both  directions.  At 
intervals  he  emitted  his  resounding  whisde,  but  the 
listening  ears  caught  no  response. 

"That's  mighty  queer,"  exclaimed  the  disgusted 
youth,  when  all  doubt  as  to  his  friend's  non-arrival 
had  vanished;  "I  consider  it  a  mean  piece  of  business 
on  his  part;  /  never  served  him  such  a  trick,  and  he 
has  no  right  to  play  it  on  me." 


CHAPTER  V 

COMRADES 

Thus  Auric  Kingdon  violated  the  adage  he  had 
called  to  mind  as  the  proper  one  to  govern  a  person 
in  his  circumstances.  His  comrade  had  not  met  him 
as  expected,  and  he  blamed  him  therefor,  not  waiting 
to  think  that  such  a  slip  would  not  have  occurred 
without  good  cause. 

We  must  remember,  however,  that  there  was  some 
palliation  for  his  impatience.  He  was  tired  and  hun- 
gry, having  counted  upon  the  food  he  knew  would  be 
brought  by  his  friend.  Few  youngsters  thus  placed 
would  not  have  felt  out  of  sorts.  From  where  he 
stood  on  the  margin  of  the  lake  he  would  be  able  to 
see  the  canoe  of  Jethro  Judd  while  it  was  still  so  far 
off  that  it  would  take  an  hour  of  vigorous  paddling  to 
bring  him  to  the  meeting-place. 

Standing  thus  with  his  gaze  roving  over  the  immense 
sheet  of  water  he  began  to  think  of  his  injustice  toward 
his  friend.  Surely  he  would  not  fail  to  be  on  hand 
unless  there  was  good  reason  for  such  failure. 

"Jet  never  did  anything  of  the  kind  before,  and, 
though  I  can't  understand  why  he  did  it  now,  I  must 


5©  Black  Partridge 

wait  to  hear  what  he  has  to  say.  Suppose  he  never 
comes!" 

Auric  shuddered  at  the  thought  thus  presented. 
He  called  to  mind  the  unrest  among  the  Indians  of 
the  section.  He  had  just  passed  through  a  disquiet- 
ing experience,  and  it  might  be  that  Jethro  had  been 
still  more  unfortunate.  A  single  person  in  making 
his  way  through  the  disturbed  country  must  be  in 
more  danger  than  if  he  had  companions.  The  red- 
skins were  treacherous  by  nature,  and  the  temptation 
to  do  evil  was  one  that  few  of  their  race  could  with- 
stand. 

Suddenly  a  thrill  passed  through  the  youth,  for 
while  gazing  to  the  northward,  he  observed  a  tiny, 
dark  object  on  the  water.  It  was  several  miles  away, 
and  partly  hidden  by  the  tossing  waves,  for  a  smart 
breeze  was  blowing.  He  knew  on  the  instant  that  it 
was  a  canoe,  and  in  his  mind  there  was  no  doubt  that 
it  was  his  tardy  comrade,  making  haste  to  come  to 
him.  In  the  pleasant  revulsion  of  feeling.  Auric  took 
off  his  cap  and  swung  it  over  his  head. 

"Hurrah!  I  can  afford  to  forgive  him,  for  I  don't 
know  what  kept  him  back;  I  wish  I  had  brought 
father's  glass  with  me,  so  I  could  see  more  clearly." 

Shading  his  eyes  with  one  hand,  he  peered  through 
the  sunlight.  Yes;  it  was  a  canoe  speeding  toward 
him,  and  in  due  time  the  two  friends  would  clasp  hands. 
It  was  following  the  course  of  the  shore  from  which 


Comrades  51 

it  held  a  distance  of  a  hundred  yards  or  more.  It 
dipped  and  rose  to  the  motion  of  the  small  waves,  but 
the  flash  of  the  water  was  seen  as  the  ashen  blade  was 
swung  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other  of  the 
craft.  Each  of  the  boys  was  an  adept  in  handling  a 
boat,  which  sped  fast  and  true  toward  the  one  who 
was  waiting  on  the  beach,  so  near  the  lake  that  the 
tumbling  waves  came  almost  to  his  feet. 

"Well,  I  declare!" 

The  excited  exclamation  was  caused  by  the  startling 
discovery  that  more  than  one  man  was  in  the  canoe. 
A  single  person  was  paddling,  but  behind  him  sat 
two  others;  moreover,  all  three  were  Indians. 

For  the  first  time  a  pang  of  fear  for  the  safety  of  his 
friend  shot  through  Auric  Kingdon.  He  gave  the 
most  sinister  meaning  to  the  sight. 

"  They  have  killed  Jet  and  taken  his  boat! " 

Fortunately,  our  young  friend  had  time  in  which  to 
collect  his  wits.  The  canoe  could  not  arrive  for  a 
considerable  while,  during  which  he  must  decide  upon 
his  own  course.  Could  he  have  felt  assured  that  the 
frightful  theory  he  had  uttered  was  the  true  one, 
he  would  have  held  his  place  on  the  beach,  and,  as 
soon  as  the  party  came  within  fair  range,  opened  fire 
on  them.  He  was  sure  of  shooting  one  warrior  at 
least,  and  their  position  in  the  craft  headed  toward 
him  favored  doing  still  further  execution.  He  cared 
naught  for  his  own  exposed  situation,  for  he  would 


52  Black  Partridge 

have  time  in  which  to  reload  his  weapon.  His  rage 
over  the  supposed  crime  took  away  his  cool  judgment 
for  a  few  minutes,  but  he  soon  regained  command  of 
himself. 

No  doubt  the  red  men  had  descried  him  before 
he  observed  the  canoe,  and  after  a  part  of  the  distance 
was  passed,  they  headed  as  straight  as  an  arrow  for 
him.  Was  it  wise  to  hold  his  position  until  they 
stepped  ashore?  Clearly  not,  for  if  they  were  ill- 
disposed  he  would  place  himself  in  their  power. 

Not  wishing  to  appear  frightened.  Auric  turned  and 
walked  slowly  up  the  shingle  toward  the  wood  which 
was  near  at  hand.  As  he  did  this  he  reflected  that 
the  Indians  were  almost  within  gunshot,  and  he  had 
that  uncomfortable  feeling  of  which  I  have  spoken, 
when  one  expects  to  hear  the  sharp  crack  of  a  rifle, 
and  feel  the  twinge  of  the  bullet  of  his  enemy.  But 
he  maintained  his  dignity  and  passed  among  the  tree 
trunks  as  if  he  were  taking  an  ordinary  stroll.  The 
instant,  however,  the  youth  knew  he  was  beyond 
sight,  he  turned  sharply  to  the  left  'and  broke  into  a 
brisk  lope,  not  pausing  till  he  had  gone  a  number  of 
rods.  While  doing  so  he  often  glanced  toward  the 
lake.  He  could  see  nothing  of  it,  though  the  tumbhng 
of  the  waves  was  distinct.  Turning  again,  he  cau- 
tiously made  his  way  through  the  undergrowth  until, 
by  parting  the  foliage  in  front  of  his  face,  he  gained 
sight  of  the  three  redskins. 


Comrades  53 

By  this  time  they  were  near  the  beach.  All  were 
strangers,  but  he  recognized  them  as  Winnebagoes. 
They  were  in  war  paint  and  fully  armed.  At  the  first 
glance,  Auric  fancied  he  had  seen  at  Fort  Dearborn 
the  one  who  was  swaying  the  paddle,  but  he  was  doubt- 
ful, and  it  was  of  litde  difference  either  way.  Suddenly 
this  fellow  made  several  powerful  sweeps  with  the 
blade,  the  front  of  the  canoe  shot  well  up  the  shingle, 
and  all  stepped  nimbly  out.  The  warrior  who  laid 
down  his  paddle  drew  the  boat  still  farther,  to  pre- 
vent its  being  washed  away,  and  then  the  three  stood 
close  together  and  talked  for  a  few  minutes.  The 
painted  faces  of  two  were  turned  toward  the  edge  of 
the  wood,  and  Auric  was  sure  he  had  never  seen  such 
repellent  countenances.  They  had  landed  so  near 
the  spot  where  he  formerly  stood,  that  they  must  have 
seen  the  imprints  of  his  shoes.  One  of  them  pointed 
down  at  the  sand.  Then  the  eyes  of  all  three  followed 
the  tracks  up  to  the  edge  of  the  forest.  Evidently 
they  were  talking  about  him,  and  when  the  Winne- 
bagoes walked  slowly  up  the  slope.  Auric  felt  little 
doubt  of  their  intention. 

"They  are  going  to  trail  me!  I  must  make  a  fight 
or  run!" 

He  quickly  decided  to  hold  his  ground  for  the  time. 
It  might  be,  after  all,  that  they  were  little  interested 
in  him.  Anyway,  it  would  be  better  to  wait  until 
he  could  learn  more  of  their  intentions. 


54  Black  Partridge 

After  the  three  entered  the  wood,  the  intervening 
foliage  hid  them  from  sight  of  Auric,  but  he  relied 
upon  his  keen  hearing  to  detect  their  approach.  He 
shifted  his  position  so  as  to  be  shielded  from  discovery 
and  intently  listened.  In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes, 
he  fancied  he  heard  the  rustling  of  leaves  or  the  mov- 
ing of  foliage,  but  after  a  time,  when  it  had  not  been 
repeated,  he  began  to  believe  he  was  mistaken.  Fif- 
teen minutes  later  he  felt  no  doubt  on  that  point. 

This  being  so,  it  was  equally  certain  that  the  Winne- 
bagoes  were  not  trailing  him.  If  their  feeling  was 
hostile,  it  was  not  malignant  enough  to  lead  them  to 
any  special  effort  to  do  him  harm.  Evidently  they 
had  left  the  spot  and  were  now  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  it.  The  natural  inference  was  that  they 
had  come  from  the  direction  of  Fort  Dearborn  and 
were  on  their  way  to  Fort  Wayne. 

Reasonable  as  was  this  theory,  Auric  Kingdon  was 
too  well  trained  in  woodcraft  to  discount  it.  The 
redskins  might  have  counted  on  his  return  and  were 
in  hiding  ready  to  pounce  upon  him,  whenever  he 
came  within  reach.  He  therefore  held  his  place  for 
a  half  hour  more,  when,  having  seen  and  heard  nothing 
of  them,  he  stealthily  picked  his  course  along  the  edge 
of  the  wood,  keeping  just  within  cover,  until  near  the 
spot  where  the  Winnebagoes  had  entered  the  forest. 
With  the  exception  of  the  booming  of  the  lake,  every- 
thing was  as  still  as  the  grave. 


Comrades  55 

"  They  have  gone,"  was  the  decision  of  the  youth,  who 
now  turned  his  attention  to  the  canoe,  lying  with  its 
nose  up  the  shore,  a  few  yards  distant.  Naturally,  he 
was  anxious  to  learn  whether  it  was  the  one  in  which 
he  and  Jethro  Judd  had  paddled  many  times  along  the 
shore  of  the  lake.  With  a  relief  that  can  hardly  be 
imagined  he  found  he  had  never  seen  the  craft  before. 
He  was  so  famihar  with  the  other,  that  he  could  make 
no  mistake  regarding  it.  Had  it  been  the  canoe  of  his 
friend,  all  doubt  of  his  fate  would  have  vanished. 

"Thank  heaven!"  was  the  fervent  exclamation  of 
Auric;  "it  looks  as  if  no  harm  had  come  to  Jet  after 
all—     WeU,  I'll  be  shot!" 

In  the  intensity  of  his  interest  in  the  Winnebagoes, 
the  youth  had  given  no  attention  to  anything  else. 
He  did  not  look  out  over  the  lake,  except  merely  to 
glance  at  it,  but  waited  to-  make  certain  his  enemies 
had  gone.  He  had  stepped  out  from  the  wood  and 
was  scrutinizing  the  canoe  only  a  few  paces  away, 
when  through  the  stillness  he  heard  a  faint,  "Halloo!''^ 
Raising  his  eyes  he  gazed  off  over  the  water  and  saw 
the  missing  comrade,  hardly  a  hundred  yards  distant, 
speeding  swiftly  toward  him.  He  did  not  pause  in 
his  paddhng,  when  he  uttered  the  shout,  but  came 
straight  on,  driving  his  canoe  up  the  beach  so  close 
beside  the  other  that  the  two  almost  grazed.  Leaping 
out,  he  clasped  the  hand  of  Auric,  who  with  his  face 
aglow,  demanded: 


56  Black  Partridge 

"What  made  you  so  late,  Jet?" 

"Late!  why  I'm  away  ahead  of  time." 

"Ahead  of  time!"  repeated  the  other  in  astonish- 
ment; "what  do  you  mean  by  such  stuff  as  that?" 

"Isn't  this  the  eighth  of  August?" 

"Of  course  it  is;  what  of  that?" 

"I  was  to  meet  you  here  on  the  ninth  of  the  month, 
but  I  was  so  impatient  that  I  thought  I  would  come 
a  day  ahead  of  time  and  follow  the  trail  till  I  met  you. 
It  gets  very  tiresome  at  the  fort." 

Auric  laughed  in  his  hearty  fashion. 

"Our  engagement  was  for  the  eighth;  haven't  you 
my  letter  accepting  that  date  which  you  named  when 
you  wrote  to  me?" 

"I  think  I  have,"  repUed  Jethro,  beginning  a  vigor- 
ous search  of  his  pockets;  "strange  that  you  should 
make  such  a  blunder;  I'll  soon  show  you  I'm  right." 

"And  I  beUeve  I  have  your  letter,"  added  Auric, 
commencing  also  to  hunt  through  the  inner  pockets 
of  his  coat;  "yes,  here  it  is;  now  let's  see  who  is  the 
blunderer." 

They  brought  out  the  missives  at  the  same  moment, 
two  folded  pieces  of  blue  foolscap,  on  which  the  words 
were  pencilled.  Jethro  was  first  in  unfolding  his 
slip. 

"Listen,"  he  said,  with  glowing  face: 

"'My  dear  Auric:  Don't  fail  to  be  at  the  foot  of 
the  lake  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday'  —    Well,  I'll 


Comrades  57 

be  hanged!"  he  exclaimed  with  lengthened  visage, 
"Who  would  have  thought  that?" 

Auric  laughed  more  heartily  than  before. 

"Oh,  no!  Of  course,  you  never  make  a  mistake; 
you  know  you  never  did.  Suppose  you  hear  what 
you  wrote  me." 

And  he  read: 

"'If  I'm  alive,  I'll  be  at  the  spot  on—  '" 

And  then  Auric  paused  in  dismay.  He  had  leaned 
his  rifle  against  the  front  of  the  canoe,  so  as  to  leave 
his  hands  free.  With  one  he  shoved  back  his  cap 
and  scratched  his  head. . 

"Jet,  did  you  ever  know  anything  of  the  kind? 
We^re  both  wrong.'''' 

They  now  compared  notes. 

In  the  one  written  by  Jethro  he  had  named  Wednes- 
day, August  10,  as  the  day  for  the  meeting.  In  spite 
of  the  fact  that  the  date  was  clearly  set  forth,  the 
writer  was  fixed  in  the  belief  that  it  was  Tuesday  the 
ninth,  while  Auric  Kingdon  was  just  as  certain  it  was 
Monday  the  eighth  of  the  month.  Since  neither  had 
ever  gone  astray  in  an  understanding  of  this  nature, 
who  shall  explain  how  it  was  that  both  blundered  in 
the  present  instance?  Strange  things  happen  in  this 
life,  and  neither  of  the  youths  was  ever  able  to  under- 
stand how  the  double  mistake  came  to  be  made. 
Each  had  taken  a  different  date,  and  neither  was  right. 
Jethro  sat  down  on  the  front  of  his  canoe,  and  looked 


58  Black  Partridge 

up  smilingly  in  the  face  of  his  comrade,  who  scratched 
his  head  again  and  re-read  his  letter,  and  then  took 
Jethro's  out  of  his  hand  and  compared  the  two. 

It  was  as  I  have  said,  and  they  remained  mystified. 
Suddenly  Auric  peered  over  the  shoulder  of  his  friend 
into  the  craft  beyond. 

"I  see  a  package  of  something  at  the  stem;  suppose 
I  investigate." 

"I  think  that  before  you  begin  eating  we  ought  to 
consider  this  canoe,  which  I  saw  ahead  of  me  with 
the  three  Winnebagoes  in  it." 

"I  can  eat  and  talk  at  the  same  time;  they  can  wait 
awhile,  but  /  can't." 

He  drew  the  boat  sideways  against  the  shingle,  so  as 
to  reach  within  and  lift  out  the  food  which  was  enclosed 
in  clean,  spotless  linen,  and  impatiently  opened  it. 

Jethro  amusedly  watched  his  friend. 

"There's  enough  for  three  or  four  men,  but  I  don't 
know  whether  there's  enough  for  you.^^ 

"I  don't  either,  but  I'll  soon  find  out.  Jingo!  but 
Mrs.  Kinzie  is  a  jewel!"  exclaimed  Auric,  as  he  attacked 
the  spongy,  dark  bread,  the  tender,  well-cooked  veni- 
son, and  the  soft  hunks  of  delicious  gingerbread. 

"I  don't  suppose  you  want  any.  Jet,"  remarked 
Auric,  as  best  he  could  with  his  mouth  stuffed  to  re- 
pletion. 

"It  doesn't  look  as  if  I  have  much  chance  of  getting 
it  if  I  did." 


Comrades  59 

"I'll  divide,  or  let  you  have  what  I  leave." 

"With  mighty  small  chance  of  your  leaving  any- 
thing. No,  Auric,  I  know  something  of  that  appetite 
of  yours,  and  I  ate  enough  to  last  me  till  night,  and, 
if  worst  comes  to  worst,  I  can  hold  out  till  we  get 
back  to  Fort  Dearborn;  you^re  safe  for  a  week." 

Auric  tried  to  make  reply,  but  the  organs  of  speech 
were  too  much  smothered  at  the  moment.  When  he 
could  mumble  he  said: 

"A  fellow  must  use  his  chance  when  he  gets  it;  if 
I  hadn't  caught  sight  of  you,  or  you  hadn't  called  me 
when  you  did,  I  must  have  had  to  go  on  a  hunt  through 
the  woods;  if  you  meant  to  start  a  day  ahead  of  what 
you  thought  the  time  was,  why  didn't  you  make  it  a 
full  day?" 

"I  should  have  had  to  walk  further  along  the  trail 
to  meet  you ;  there  was  danger,  too,  of  my  missing  you 
in  the  night;  I  didn't  mean  to  go  too  far." 

As  Auric  filled  up  he  became  more  generous.  He 
pressed  his  friend  to  eat,  and,  though  Jethro  did  not 
feel  the  need,  he  joined  him  in  a  moderate  fashion. 
The  result  v/as  that  when  Auric  expressed  himself 
satisfied,  enough  remained  to  serve  them  for  a  lunch 
at  the  close  of  day.  Jethro  sighed  with  relief,  for  he 
declared  he  had  no  thought  that  more  than  a  few 
crumbs  would  be  left. 


CHAPTER  VI 

AN  EXCHANGE  OF  SHOTS 

Auric  hurriedly  told  his  experience  with  the  three 
Winnebagoes  who  landed  from  the  canoe  at  this  point. 

"  I  don't  think  we  ought  to  stay  here  another  minute," 
said  Jethro;  "get  in  and  I'll  paddle  off  to  a  safe  dis- 
tance; they  are  liable  to  come  back  any  minute,  and 
it  will  be  better  for  us  to  be  somewhere  else  when  they 
do." 

This  was  the  voice  of  prudence  and  Auric  assented. 
The  next  moment  the  birchen  craft  was  shoved  clear, 
and  the  young  man  plied  the  paddle  with  a  vigor  that 
rapidly  carried  it  out  on  the  lake.  While  doing  so 
he  necessarily  faced  the  way  the  boat  was  going,  but 
Auric  placed  himself  at  the  bow,  so  as  to  look  back 
over  the  course.  Jethro  headed  northward,  but  kept 
well  off  shore.  When  a  considerable  space  had  been 
passed  he  slackened  his  strokes  and  wrought  more 
leisurely. 

"  You  folks  won't  have  any  trouble  at  Fort  Wayne," 

he  said,  "but  things  are  beginning  to  look  bad  at 

Dearborn." 

"Why?" 

60 


An  Exchange  of  Shots  6i 

"You  know  the  Indians  have  been  expecting  the 
declaration  of  war  for  months,  and  have  made  up 
their  minds  to  fight  on  the  side  of  the  British.  Dear- 
born is  so  much  exposed  that  General  Hull  has  sent 
orders  from  Detroit  for  Captain  Heald  to  abandon  it. 
Mr.  Kinzie  and  every  one  else  says  it  is  the  worst 
thing  that  can  be  done." 

"I  have  heard  them  say  at  home  that  orders  have 
been  forwarded  to  all  the  posts  not  to  give  them  up 
without  a  strong  fight.  Why  doesn't  Captain  Heald 
fall  back  on  that  and  refuse  to  leave?" 

"He  thinks  the  same  as  the  other  ofl&cers,  but  he  is 
a  great  stickler  for  discipline.  General  Hull  is  his 
superior  officer,  and  when  he  sends  him  positive 
orders,  he  dare  not  disobey  them. 

"How  did  the  despatches  reach  him?" 

"They  were  brought  yesterday  by  a  Pottawatomie 
runner.  After  Captain  Heald  had  read  them,  the 
Pottawatomie  took  him  aside  and  told  him  he  knew 
what  the  orders  were.  He  was  a  very  intelligent  man 
and  urged  Captain  Heald  not  to  obey  the  command." 

"For  what  reason?" 

"There  must  be  five  or  six  hundred  Indians  gathered 
near  the  fort  and  they  can't  be  trusted.  The  garrison 
is  fifty-odd;  when  they  march  out  they  will  be  at  the 
mercy  of  these  redskins,  to  say  nothing  of  the  women 
and  children;  while,  if  they  stay  in  the  fort,  they  can 
hold  it  against  any  number  brought  against  it." 


62  Black  Partridge 

"What  answer  did  Captain  Heald  give  the  mes- 
senger?" 

"He  thanked  him  and  said  his  advice  was  good; 
he  said  further  that  he  would  do  as  the  runner  and 
his  own  officers  advised,  but  for  the  fact  that  the 
orders  from  General  Hull  were  positive:  he  must 
obey  them.  Then  the  Pottawatomie  begged  that 
the  garrison  should  leave  at  once,  before  the  Indians 
learned  of  the  despatch.  Our  folks  would  thus  gain 
a  start  that  would  be  of  the  greatest  help." 

"What  did  Captain  Heald  reply  to  that  advice?" 

"He  refused,  even  though  all  his  officers  favored." 

Auric's  face  clouded. 

"I  know  the  officers  are  dissatisfied;  I  have  heard 
whispers  of  their  refusing  to  obey  their  commander, 
but  I  suppose  they  will  hardly  dare  go  that  far." 

"No;  but  I  tell  you,  Auric,  things  are  dark  at  Dear- 
bom.  If  I  had  thought  anything  of  the  kind  was 
coming  I  never  should  have  made  this  appointment 
with  you." 

"I  don't  understand  why  it  should  have  affected 
that:' 

"There's  no  saying  when  the  trouble  will  come, 
and  they  vdll  need  every  one  who  knows  how  to  fire  a 
gun." 

"Then  they  will  be  glad  to  have  wg,"  said  Auric, 
with  flashing  eye;  "I'm  glad  I  shall  be  on  hand;  father 
will  be  glad,  too,  and  sorry  that  he  and  others  can't 


An  Exchange  of  Shots  63 

help.     But  you   haven't   told   me   about   these   three 
Winnebagoes  that  set  off  toward  Fort  Wayne."    * 

"I  know  httle  more  than  you;  I  camped  eight  or 
ten  miles  up  the  lake  on  the  same  spot  where  I  have 
spent  the  night  many  times,  and  saw  nothing  of  them, 
though  I  believe  they  came  from  near  Fort  Dearborn, 
I  hadn't  paddled  far  this  morning,  when,  pushing  out 
a  little  farther  from  shore,  as  I  passed  a  curve  in  the 
bank,  I  saw  the  canoe  ahead  of  me  with  the  Winne- 
bagoes all  facing  front." 

"Did  they  get  sight  of  you?" 

"No,  for  I  put  into  shore  again,  before  any  of  them 
turned  their  heads.  At  any  other  time  I  should  have 
been  glad  to  hasten  on  and  join  them,  but  I  was  afraid 
to  do  so  then.  Did  you  notice  whether  they  were  in 
their  war  paint?" 

"They  were,  and  I  never  saw  a  more  villainous 
lot;  why  didn't  they  make  a  hunt  through  the  wood 
for  me?    They  wouldn't  have  had  far  to  go." 

"They  didn't  think  you  were  worth  it;  they  have 
something  important  on  foot,  though  I  can't  guess 
what  it  is." 

"They  seem  to  be  travelling  toward  Fort  Wayne." 

"Yes,  but  may  not  go  anywhere  near  it." 

"Where  then  can  they  be  heading?" 

"A  good  many  miles  lie  between  here  and  Fort 
Wayne;  I  don't  see  that  there  is  any  use  of  trying  to 
guess;  they  are  out  of  the  question  for  the  present." 


64  Black  Partridge 

*'I  rather  think  not,"  Auric  hastened  to  say;  "yonder 
they  come!" 

Jethro  turned  his  head  and  saw  the  meaning  of  his 
friend's  words.  The  three  Winnebagoes  had  just 
emerged  from  the  wood,  and  were  walking  down  the 
beach  to  where  they  had  left  their  canoe  some  time 
before.  They  had  probably  observed  the  boat  con- 
taining the  boys  before  the  latter  saw  them.  Shoving 
the  craft  from  land,  the  three  seated  themselves  in  it, 
and  the  same  warrior  who  had  swung  the  paddle 
before  took  it  up  and  glided  out  into  the  lake. 

"It  looks  as  if  they  meant  to  give  us  a  chase,"  said 
Auric. 

"I  don't  think  they  will,"  coolly  replied  his  com- 
rade. 

"How  can  you  know  that?" 

"Because,  if  they  try  it,  we  won't  run.  What 
would  be  the  use?  They  can  outpaddle  us,  even  if 
they  have  a  bigger  load  to  carry." 

Auric  liked  to  hear  his  friend  speak  thus.  It  galled 
him  to  recall  that  he  had  been  compelled  to  dodge 
redskins  more  than  once  since  leaving  home,  and  the 
memory  of  the  dog  slain  by  the  vagrant  redskin  still 
rankled. 

"We  won't  let  them  come  too  close;  keep  using  the 
paddle.  Jet,  and  I'll  be  on  the  lookout." 

It  was  not  yet  certain  that  the  warriors  were  pur- 
suing the  boys,  for,  naturally  they  would  take  the  same 


An  Exchange  of  Shots  65 

direction  if  they  were  returning  to  Fort  Dearborn. 
To  test  the  question,  Jethro,  at  the  suggestion  of  Auric, 
shifted  their  course  and  turned  farther  out  on  the 
lake.  The  change  was  quite  marked.  A  minute 
later.  Auric  said  in  an  excited  undertone: 

"They're  after  us  sure;  they  have  done  the  same 
as  you." 

"You  are  right,"  added  Jethro,  as  he  looked  around; 
"but  I'll  try  them  again." 

He  now  headed  toward  shore.  He  had  taken  only 
three  or  four  strokes,  when  the  Winnebagoes  made  a 
corresponding  shift,  and  came  on  as  before  in  a  straight 
line.     Jethro  laid  down  his  paddle. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  . 

"What's  the  use  of  tiring  myself,  when  I  can't  gain 
anything  by  it?  If  they  want  to  give  us  a  fight,  the 
sooner  it  comes  the  better." 

If  such  was  the  intention  of  the  redskins,  there  was 
no  possible  escape  from  it  for  the  boys.  It  was  too 
early  in  the  day  to  get  any  help  from  darkness.  The 
sun  was  still  high,  and  they  were  so  far  from  land  that 
the  Indians  would  overhaul  them  before  they  could 
step  ashore.  Even  if  they  were  late  in  doing  so, 
they  would  be  near  enough  to  the  lads  to  reach  them 
before  they  could  go  many  steps. 

"  If  they  think  we  are  trying  to  get  away  from  them 
it  will  encourage  them  to  work  all  the  harder.  We 
won't  let  them  come  too  near." 


66  Black  Partridge 

It  was  evident  that  the  Winnebagoes  were  surprised 
that  two  large  boys  in  a  canoe  on  the  lake  did  not 
make  every  effort  to  flee  from  three  Indians  on  the 
war  path.  The  one  who  was  paddling  relaxed  his 
work,  though  his  approach  continued.  The  youths 
watched  every  moment,  Jethro  having  deliberately 
shifted  about  so  as  to  face  them. 

"He  has  stopped  paddling,"  remarked  Auric; 
"what  do  you  suppose  that  means?" 

"We  shall  soon  find  out." 

Something  like  fifty  yards  separated  the  parties.  The 
Indian  must  have  "backed  water,"  for  his  canoe 
stopped,  while  that  of  our  young  friends  was  advan- 
cing slowly.  The  trio  were  looking  fixedly  at  the 
boys,  who  plainly  saw  the  ugly  visages  smeared  with 
paint.  If  they  spoke  to  one  another,  their  voices 
were  not  heard. 

Suddenly,  without  any  warning,  the  one  who  laid 
dovm  his  paddle,  picked  up  his  gun  at  his  feet,  took 
aim  and  fired.  It  was  done  so  quickly  that  the  first 
notice  was  the  puff  of  smoke,  the  sharp  report,  and  the 
whistling  of  the  bullet  so  close  to  the  face  of  Auric 
Kingdon  that  he  felt  the  wind  as  it  nipped  the  hair 
just  above  his  ear. 

"Wait,"  whispered  the  youth;  "let  me  fire  first." 

He  brought  his  weapon  to  a  level,  aimed  carefully 
and  pulled  trigger.  If  the  Winnebagoes  were  aston- 
ished that  the  boys  dared  do  a  thing  like  that,  they 


Jethro  and  Auric  meeting  the  Indians  Page  66 


An  Exchange  of  Shots  67 

were  still  more  astonished  by  the  result  of  the  shot. 
Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  Auric  Kingdon  struck  not 
one,  but  two  of  the  miscreants.  He  did  not  kill  either, 
but  the  bullet  which  he  directed  with  so  much  skill 
went  through  the  upper  arm  of  the  oarsman  and  in- 
bedded  itself  in  the  shoulder  of  the  warrior  directly 
behind  him. 

That  the  shot  hurt  was  proved  by  the  respective 
yells  of  the  two  that  were  hit.  The  oarsman  half 
rose  from  his  seat,  and  dropped  back  so  heavily  that 
he  fell  against  his  companion  who  was  nursing  his 
wound. 

"I  don't  know  anything  more  dangerous  than  for 
an  Indian  to  try  to  shoot  an  American  youngster," 
said  the  exultant  Auric  with  a  grin;  "Jet,  can't  you 
do  better  than  I  and  pick  off  that  handsome  dog  at  the 
stem?" 

"I  think  I  could,  but  it's  best  for  me  to  wait  till 
you  reload." 

It  was  a  sensible  remark.  Had  the  boys  emptied 
their  guns  it  would  have  been  easy  for  the  Winne- 
bagoes  to  dash  forward  and  be  upon  them  before 
they  could  make  ready  with  another  shot.  Accord- 
ingly, Auric  set  about  ramming  a  charge  home  and 
pouring  powder  into  the  pan  of  his  weapon. 

One  unharmed  warrior  was  in  the  canoe  and  capable 
of  firing  his  rifle.  Jethro  believed  he  would  do  so, 
and  never  took  his  eye  from  him.    With  his  own 


68  Black  Partridge 

weapon  almost  at  his  shoulder,  while  Auric  was  re- 
loading, he  held  himself  ready  for  instant  action. 
At  the  first  move  on  the  Winnebago's  part,  Jethro 
meant  to  aim  and  fire.  It  would  seem  that  it  would 
have  been  safe  to  do  so  without  waiting  for  Auric  to 
be  ready,  since  the  other  two  warriors  were  wounded. 
But  there  was  no  certainty  as  to  the  extent  of  their 
disability  to  use  their  guns,  and  it  was  in  accordance 
with  the  training  of  both  boys  that  so  long  as  possible 
they  should  keep  a  loaded  gun  for  any  emergency. 

Jethro  was  surprised  that  the  unharmed  Indian 
did  not  shoot,  when  the  intervening  distance  was 
comparatively  slight.  He  must  have  been  frightened 
by  the  efi'ects  of  the  shot  of  the  youth.  The  sufferers 
acted  as  if  they  had  forgotten  everything  except  their 
hurts.  They  could  be  seen  shifting  about,  turning 
their  heads,  speaking  to  one  another,  and  in  sore 
trouble,  while  he  at  the  stem  appeared  to  be  dazed. 

Jethro  could  tell  what  his  friend  was  doing,  and 
know  the  exact  progress  he  was  making  in  reloading 
his  rifle,  without  looking  around.  The  slight  but 
characteristic  sounds  were  his  guide.  He  waited  till 
he  heard  him  lift  the  hammer,  and  noted  the  soft 
rattling  of  the  grains,  as  he  poured  the  powder  into 
the  pan. 

"Are  you  ready.  Auric?" 

"All  ready." 

"Very  well;  keep  your  eye  on  that  fellow  at  the  stem,. 


An  Exchange  of  Shots  69 

and  at  his  first  move,  let  him  have  it  straight!  You 
have  time  enough  to  make  your  aim  sure;  it  mustn't 
be  only  wounding  this  time." 

As  he  spoke,  Jethro  placed  his  gun  in  the  bottom 
of  the  boat  and  took  up  the  paddle  again.  Auric  said 
nothing,  for  he  understood  the  meaning  of  the  act. 
Nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  holding  the  relative 
position  to  the  other  boat.  Without  any  appearance 
of  haste  the  lad  began  swinging  his  paddle,  heading 
not  toward  land,  but  holding  a  course  parallel  with 
it. 

Naturally,  Auric  kept  his  attention  on  the  boat  be- 
hind them.  It  remained  stationary  seemingly,  while 
the  occupants  regained  control  of  themselves,  but 
soon  the  Winnebago  who  was  unhurt  took  up  the 
blade. 

"They  are  making  for  shore,"  said  Auric;  "I  guess 
they  want  to  give  better  attention  to  the  wounded 
ones  than  they  can  while  in  the  boat." 

The  distance,  as  we  know,  was  trifling  and  a  few 
minutes  later  the  canoe  touched  land  and  the  three 
were  seen  to  disembark.  Two  of  them  moved  slowly, 
all  quickly  passing  out  of  sight  in  the  deep  forest  that 
lined  the  lake. 

"They  both  deserved  death,"  remarked  Auric, 
"but,  somehow  or  other,  I'm  glad  I  didn't  kill  either 
of  them." 

"I  wonder  how  they  would  have  felt,  if  that  bullet 


70  Black  Partridge 

had  passed  through  instead  of  so  near  your  head," 
was  the  significant  comment  of  Jethro. 

"They  would  have  been  delighted,  and  then  they 
would  have  gone  for  you;  why  didn't  the  third  one 
try  his  hand  on  us?" 

*'He  was  scared  out  of  his  wits;  he  didn't  want  to 
provoke  another  shot;  it  is  strange  that  he  didn't 
catch  up  the  paddle  and  make  off  as  fast  as  he 
could." 

"He  may  have  thought  that  would  have  caused  us 
to  give  chase;  I  tell  you,  Jet,  there  aren't  many  per- 
sons that  can  hit  two  Indians  when  he  aims  at  only 
one." 

"You  had  them  in  line,  and  have  reason  to  be 
proud  of  your  exploit;  as  it  was,  the  third  one  must 
have  had  a  pretty  narrow  escape." 

"Well,  there's  one  thing  certain;  he  knows  which 
one  of  us  it  was  that  winged  him,  and  if  we  two  ever 
meet  again,  matters  will  be  lively  between  us;  I  should 
like  to  know  who  that  third  fellow  was." 

"Don't  you  know  him?  You  have  seen  him  at 
Dearborn;  he  called  at  Mr.  Kinzie's  when  you  were 
last  there." 

"I  thought  I  had  seen  the  one  who  was  paddling, 
at  Fort  Wayne,  but  wasn't  sure." 

"No  doubt  you  have  seen  all  three." 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  of  the  warrior  who  wasn't 
hit?" 


An  Exchange  of  Shots  71 

"It  is  Wag-ma-rah  and  he  is  the  worst  of  the  lot. 
Nobody  knows  as  much  as  Mr.  Kinzie  about  all  the 
tribes  in  these  parts,  and  I  have  heard  him  say  that 
Wag-ma-rah  is  a  sneaking,  treacherous  wretch,  who, 
though  he  has  often  sat  at  his  table,  would  be  delighted 
to  scalp  him  and  every  member  of  his  family." 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  WAR  PARTY 

Auric  Kingdon  insisted  upon  exchanging  places 
with  Jethro  Judd,  who  had  paddled  the  canoe  from 
the  beginning.  When  it  is  remembered  that  he  had 
spent  a  number  of  hours  at  the  same  work  before 
their  meeting  on  the  southern  shore,  it  will  be  seen 
that  he  had  good  reason  to  feel  tired,  but  it  was  proof 
of  his  high  health  and  rugged  strength  that  he  could 
have  kept  up  the  toil  indefinitely.  In  truth.  Auric 
had  offered  to  take  charge  of  the  craft,  when  they 
put  out  from  the  beach,  but  his  comrade  preferred 
to  leave  to  him  the  more  important  duty  of  looking 
after  the  Winnebagoes.  Now,  however,  the  change 
took  place.  Jethro,  sitting  at  the  bow  and  facing  to 
the  rear,  kept  a  keen  lookout  for  their  enemies,  while 
Auric,  as  he  shifted  the  paddle  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  swept  with  his  vision  the  broad  expanse  of 
water  to  the  north  and  east. 

The  summer  afternoon  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
The  storm  that  threatened  two  or  three  days  before 
had  passed  and  left  the  sky  clear.  The  soft  breeze 
stealing  over  the  lake  was  a  relief  from  the  sultriness, 


The  War  Party  73 

and  Jethro  especially  enjoyed  the  relaxation.  The 
course  was  so  familiar  to  him,  and  indeed  to  both, 
that  they  always  chose  the  same  place  for  camping. 
It  was  at  the  foot  of  a  giant  oak  that  had  been  split 
asunder  by  lightning,  the  white  splinters  forming 
a  prominent  landmark  which  could  be  seen  for  several 
miles  out  on  the  lake.  Owing  to  the  delay,  our  young 
friend  did  not  expect  to  reach  the  place  until  somewhat 
later  than  usual. 

"Jet,"  said  his  companion,  as  he  leisurely  swung 
the  paddle,  'T  don't  think  it  best  for  us  to  camp  on 
the  old  spot." 

"Why  not?" 

"Our  habit  of  doing  so  must  be  known  to  a  good 
many  of  the  Indians,  and  some  of  them  may  take  a 
notion  to  pay  us  a  visit  while  we  sleep." 

"It  would  be  Hke  them;  shall  we  pass  beyond  or 
stop  this  side  of  the  splintered  oak?" 

"I  don't  see  that  it  can  make  any  difference  so  long 
as  we  give  it  a  wide  berth :  why  not  keep  going  all  night  ?  " 

Jethro  reflected  a  minute  before  replying: 

"We  should  be  pretty  near  Dearborn  by  sun-up, 
but  the  plan  doesn't  hit  me  as  the  best.  We  need 
sleep,  and,  if  we  keep  at  it  till  morning,  we  shall  be 
pretty  well  tuckered  out  when  we  get  home.  We 
shall  then  be  among  the  Indians  that  are  swarming 
round  the  fort,  and  will  need  all  our  wits.  I  don't 
see  that  anything  is  to  be  gained  by  hurry." 


74  Black  Partridge 

*'A11  right;  we'll  take  our  usual  rest;  one  place  will 
serve  as  well  as  another;  I'll  push  on  a  while  longer 
and  then  turn  to  shore." 

The  canoe  stole  along  the  shore  Uke  a  phantom 
of  the  night.  There  being  no  haste,  the  work  of 
Auric  was  only  gentle  exercise,  quite  acceptable  to 
his  arms,  whose  toil  during  the  preceding  few  days 
could  bear  no  comparison  with  that  accomplished  by 
his  sturdy  legs.  The  wind  soon  died  out,  and  only 
the  gentle  lapping  of  the  water  against  the  sides  of 
the  frail  craft,  or  the  beach  to  their  left,  caught  the 
ears  of  the  youths.  Each  understood  the  art  of  pad- 
dling a  canoe  with  very  little  or  no  noise,  though  it 
would  have  been  different  had  they  been  compelled 
to  use  haste. 

Suddenly  Auric  held  the  blade  motionless.  Neither 
spoke,  for  his  friend  understood  the  cause.  Both  had 
heard  the  faint  sound  made  by  other  paddles.  It 
came  from  a  point  out  on  the  lake  and  not  far  off. 
The  moon  had  not  risen,  and  the  stars  were  beginning 
to  gleam  in  the  clear  vault  overhead.  Objects  could 
be  seen  quite  clearly  for  a  number  of  rods.  The 
youths  peered  out  into  the  gloom,  both  having  identi- 
fied the  direction  of  the  sound.  But  they  saw  nothing 
to  explain  it. 

Jethro  was  about  to  speak,  when  the  two  caught 
the  faint  ripple  again.  It  came  from  the  same  point 
as  before,  and  so  much  nearer  that  Auric  backed 


The  War  Party  75 

water,  sending  the  canoe  toward  land,  where  it  could 
have  the  protection  of  the  deep  shadows  that  put  out 
from  shore.  Neither  he  nor  his  friend  had  any  wish 
to  be  discovered  by  the  strangers,  until  something 
could  be  learned  concerning  them.  The  recent  ex- 
perience would  have  suggested  this,  had  not  their 
training  warned  them  to  be  careful  at  all  times,  even 
in  trifling  circumstances. 

The  boat  moved  under  the  overhanging  branches 
of  a  tree,  growing  on  the  very  margin  of  the  lake, 
where  it  was  effectually  screened  from  any  one  who 
might  have  passed  within  a  rod  of  them.  Auric 
gently  laid  down  the  paddle  and  caught  hold  of  a 
branch  which  brushed  his  shoulder,- that  he  might  hold 
the  boat  motionless.  The  two  sat  so  near  each  other 
that  they  were  not  afraid  to  speak  in  whispers. 

"Sh!"  warned  Jethro;  "did  you  hear  it?  It  looks 
as  if  they  are  coming  across  from  St.  Joseph  or  some 
point  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake." 

"They  may  be  heading  for  Fort  Wayne  or  Dear- 
bom,  but  keeping  farther  off  shore  than  we  did," 
repHed  Auric. 

"Sh!"  whispered  his  friend  again;  "I  see  them!" 

Even  in  that  he  was  hardly  a  moment  ahead  of 
Auric,  for  both  were  peering  at  the  right  spot  in  the 
obscurity.  What  seemed  to  be  a  long,  low  shadow 
dimly  took  form  as  it  came  nearer  in  the  gloom.  The 
vague  outlines  soon  revealed  a  large  war  canoe,  in 


76  Black  Partridge 

which  were  seated  seven  Indians.  This  the  boys 
learned  by  count,  as  the  heads  and  shoulders  assumed 
shape. 

The  first  impression  of  the  youths  was  that  the 
redskins-  were  heading  so  nearly  toward  them  that  dis- 
covery was  inevitable.  In  such  an  event  the  conse- 
quences would  have  been  disagreeable,  to  say  the 
least.  Auric  meditated  drawing  the  boat  near  enough 
to  shore  for  them  to  spring  out  and  take  refuge  in  the 
depths  of  the  woods,  but,  at  the  critical  moment,  the 
larger  craft  sheered  to  the  right  and  made  for  a  point 
that  would  bring  them  to  land  just  far  enough  away 
to  prevent  the  discovery  of  the  couple  in  the  smaller 
boat. 

By  a  curious  coincidence  the  warriors  reversed 
their  paddles,  so  as  to  bring  their  boat  to  a  halt  when 
near  enough  for  a  person  to  toss  a  basket  from  one 
canoe  to  the  other.  It  is  not  often  that  a  party  of  red- 
skins, trained  to  perfection  in  the  ways  of  the  woods, 
allow  themselves  to  be  seen  by  strangers  or  enemies 
who  are  invisible  to  them,  but  such  was  the  case  in 
the  present  instance.  Seated  thus  motionless  on  the 
water,  the  chief  exchanged  words  with  his  warriors, 
two  of  whom  had  been  using  the  paddles.  The  in- 
stant the  first  word  was  said.  Auric  recognized  the 
tongue  as  Winnebago,  a  tribe  who  seemed  destined  to 
take  a  prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  himself  and 
friend. 


The  War  Party  ^'] 

Rarely  does  a  white  man  placed  as  was  this  youth 
hold  two  such  important  advantages.  His  presence 
so  near  the  redskins  was  not  only  unsuspected,  but 
he  understood  everything  said  as  clearly  as  if  uttered 
in  EngHsh.  The  conversation,  of  necessity,  is  trans- 
lated liberally. 

"  Wag-ma-rah  has  not  called  to  us  or  shown  himself." 

This,  you  will  note,  referred  to  the  uninjured  member 
of  the  smaller  party,  with  whom  our  friends  had  had 
a  coHision.  The  remark  was  evidently  made  by  the 
chief  who  sat  at  the  stern  of  the  large  canoe. 

"It  may  be  our  brother  has  gone  to  Wayne  with 
his  friends." 

"That  cannot  be;  he  has  no  need  to  go  there;  he 
was  ordered  to  meet  us  at  the  place  where  the  young 
palefaces  make  their  camp,  and  that  is  near." 

This  was  interesting  news  to  Auric,  as  it  would  prove 
to  Jethro,  when  the  words  were  translated  for  him. 
Auric  did  not  dare  do  this,  while  the  Winnebagoes 
were  so  near,  for  none  has  sharper  ears  than  the  red 
men  of  the  forest. 

Evidently  the  fact  that  no  signal  had  been  made  by 
the  absent  trio  was  a  puzzle  to  the  larger  party. 

"I  think  we  could  give  them  a  point  or  two,"  thought 
Auric  Kingdon,  though  he  took  good  care  to  repress 
the  chuckle  that  struggled  for  utterance. 

Finally  one  of  the  warriors  made  a  daring  sugges- 
tion: 


78  Black  Partridge 

"The  guns  of  the  palefaces  may  have  slain  Wag- 
ma- rah  and  his  friends." 

The  chief's  comment  upon  this  remark  was  a  sound 
so  pecuhar  that  it  cannot  be  described.  The  boys 
had  heard  something  of  the  kind  before  and  knew 
what  it  meant.  It  resembled  the  grunt  made  by 
a  frightened  pig  more  than  anything  else,  and  ex- 
pressed the  disgust  of  the  chief  with  the  thought  that 
had  just  been  uttered.     He  did  not  even  speak. 

A  Winnebago,  who  until  this  moment  had  held  his 
peace,  seemed  to  think  it  was  time  for  him  to  put  in 
his  oar. 

"They  have  gone  farther  to  the  south  than  they 
meant;  they  may  keep  on  till  they  reach  Fort 
Wayne,  and  we  shall  see  nothing  more  of  them  for 
days." 

"They  were  told  to  meet  us  at  the  camp  of  the  young 
palefaces,"  repeated  the  chief,  who,  it  was  apparent, 
was  in  a  cross  mood. 

"We  must  wait  to  hear  them  tell  why  they  did 
not  do  so,"  ventured  another,  who,  it  will  be  noted, 
repeated  the  sentiment  of  Auric  Kingdon  uttered 
earlier  in  the  day. 

Silence  reigned  among  the  Winnebagoes  for  two  or 
three  minutes,  the  men  who  used  the  paddles  awaiting 
the  commands  of  their  chieftain.  All  that  our  young 
friends  did  was  to  breathe  and  peer  and  listen.  The 
slight   hold   which   Auric    kept    on    the   overhanging 


The  War  Party  79 

limb  held  the  canoe  motionless,  and  neither  dared  so 
much  as  shift  foot  or  hand. 

Auric  had  heard  enough  to  suggest  more  than  one 
interesting  query  that  flitted  through  his  active  brain. 
He  could  not  understand  why  the  first  three  warriors 
had  paddled  to  the  southern  end  of  the  lake,  failed  to 
make  hunt  for  him,  when  they  knew  he  must  be  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  then  returned  and  headed  up 
the  western  shore  again.  What  could  have  been  their 
errand  in  thus  going  only  a  few  miles  on  foot  in  the 
direction  of  Fort  Wayne  and  then  coming  back? 
He  could  not  make  a  reasonable  conjecture. 

Why,  too,  was  the  rendezvous  arranged  to  be  at 
the  camping  site  of  the  boys?  Could  they  know  that 
Jethro  had  set  out  to  meet  his  friend  and  that  both 
were  due  to  spend  the  night  where  they  had  spent  so 
many  previous  ones?  Finally,  if  this  were  so,  what 
bearing  did  it  have  upon  Auric  and  Jethro  themselves  ? 

These  were  but  a  few  of  the  thoughts  and  questions 
which  stirred  the  youth,  who  eagerly  waited  for  more 
words  that  would  throw  light  on  what  was  an  insol- 
vable  myster}'  to  him.  Perhaps,  by  and  by,  Jethro, 
who  had  better  knowledge  than  he  of  the  present 
conditions  at  Fort  Dearborn,  would  be  able  to  enlighten 
him,  when  the  words  should  be  interpreted. 

At  the  end  of  the  brief  interval  named,  the  Winne- 
bago chieftain  said  something,  but  in  such  a  low  tone 
that  the  listening  Auric  did  not  catch  it.     It  must 


8o    '  Black  Partridge 

have  been  an  order  for  the  couple  with  the  paddles  to 
use  them,  for  their  sound  was  heard  the  next  moment 
and  the  large  canoe  began  moving. 

Neither  of  our  young  friends  spoke  or  stirred  until 
after  the  boat  had  passed  from  sight  and  the  noise  of 
the  paddling  faintly  reached  their  ears. 

"I'm  anxious  to  know  what  they  said,"  whispered 
Jethro;  "I  suppose  you  understood  it?" 

"Every  word  except  the  last  of  the  one  who  must 
be  the  leader;  his  voice  was  so  low  that  I  did  not  hear 
him  clearly." 

Thereupon  Auric  related  the  substance  of  the  con- 
versation of  the  war  party. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  it,"  he  added;  "do 
you?" 

"No;  it  is  too  much  for  me." 

Auric  recalled  the  questions  that  came  to  him 
while  acting  the  eavesdropper,  and  his  comrade  was 
unable  to  enhghten  him.  However,  they  could  not 
help  making  a  few  guesses. 

"If  Wag-ma-rah  promised  to  meet  the  party  at  our 
old  camping-ground,  he  must  have  been  kept  from 
doing  so  by  the  wounds  of  the  other  two,"  said  Jethro. 

"How  could  that  hinder  him?" 

"You  know  they  went  ashore  instead  of  keeping  to 
their  canoe;  we  have  come  a  considerable  distance  in 
ours  and  they  could  not  have  walked  it  in  the  same 
time." 


The  War  Party  8i 

"Still  they  might  have  signalled  to  the  chief." 

"The  chief  didn't  signal  to  them,  and  they  may  have 
had  some  understanding  about  neither  doing  so  be- 
fore they  reached  our  camp." 

"What  gets  me,"  continued  Auric,  "is  how  we 
came  to  figure  in  this  business.  These  men  have  not 
come  from  Dearborn — " 

"We  can't  be  sure  of  that  till  I  have  a  look  at  their 
faces,"  interrupted  Jethro;  "if  they  did,  I  shall  know 
them  when  we  meet." 

"It  doesn't  strike  me  as  safe  to  try  to  meet  them 
before  we  reach  Dearborn." 

"I  didn't  mean  we  should  make  the  effort,  though 
I  am  curious  to  learn  whether  they  are  strangers  or 
acquaintances.  It  doesn't  seem  reasonable  that  they 
should  go  through  all  this  dilly-dallying  for  us  alone; 
they  must  have  some  other  scheme  on  foot  and  it  hap- 
pens that  our  paths  cross." 

"Well,  we  may  keep  guessing  all  night  and  be 
none  the  wiser;  I  propose  that  we  follow  them  and 
see  whether  we  can  pick  up  anything  more,  without 
running  too  great  risk  ourselves." 

"All  right;  feel  your  way,  or  we  shall  step  into  a 
hornet's  nest  before  we  know  it." 

Now,  the  common  sense  of  the  boys  showed  them 
their  plain  duty.  They  should  have  paddled  silently 
far  out  on  the  lake,  so  as  to  make  certain  of  being 
well  clear  of  the  war  party,  who  they  had  good  reason 


82  Black  Partridge 

to  believe  were  enemies.  Then  they  ought  to  have 
turned  northwards  and  taken  turns  in  paddHng  until 
safe  at  Fort  Dearborn.  But,  although  such  a  prudent 
course  suggested  itself  to  both,  neither  mentioned  it. 
They  were  anxious  to  learn  more  of  the  party  whose 
words  and  action  were  so  puzzling  to  them,  and  they 
set  out  to  do  so. 

Instead  of  putting  out  from  land  they  kept  as  near 
to  it  as  they  could,  so  close  at  times  that  the  over- 
hanging limbs  brushed  the  head  and  shoulders  of 
both.  The  advantage  of  this  course  was  that  if  any 
danger  appeared  unexpectedly,  they  could  dart  to 
the  shore  and  jQnd  refuge  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest. 

Although  neither  was  able  to  see  anything  of  the 
canoe  in  front,  they  knew  it  was  still  in  motion,  for 
the  rippHng  of  the  paddles  came  to  them.  There  was 
no  reason  why  the  Winnebagoes,  so  far  as  they  knew, 
should  use  caution,  else  the  pursuit  would  have  been 
more  difficult  on  the  part  of  our  friends. 

"We're  getting  pretty  close  to  our  camp,"  whispered 
Jethro,  some  time  later;  "I  don't  hear  their  paddles." 

Auric  held  his  blade  suspended  and  both  listened. 
All  was  silent,  save  the  dull  murmur  of  the  lake  and 
sohtude,  and  the  almost  inaudible  lapping  of  the 
waves  on  the  beach. 

"They  have  stopped,"  said  Auric,  in  the  same 
guarded  undertone. 


The  War  Party  83 

"They  must  have  landed  where  we  expected  to 
camp." 

There  seemed  httle  doubt  of  this,  and  the  youth 
handled  his  paddle  with  the  greatest  care.  When 
he  had  passed  a  hundred  yards  or  more,  Jethro  whis- 
pered to  him  to  stop.  He  did  so,  and  the  two  used 
their  eyes  and  ears  to  the  utmost.  They  saw  and 
heard  nothing,  though  certain  they  were  very  near 
the  war  party. 

They  had  sat  thus  Hke  a  couple  of  statues  for  fifteen 
minutes,  when  Jethro  said  in  an  almost  inaudible 
voice : 

"Look!" 

A  beam  of  light  shot  out  from  the  wood  and  was 
reflected  on  the  placid  surface  of  the  lake.  It  was 
only  a  brief  distance  away,  and  the  light  rapidly  in- 
creased. The  meaning  was  clear  to  the  two  youths: 
the  Winnebagoes  had  not  only  encamped  on  the  site 
of  their  camp,  but  had  started  a  fire,  as  if  they  in- 
tended to  spend  the  night  there. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

AN  ERROR  OF  JUDGMENT 

Why  the  Winnebagoes  should  have  started  a  fire 
would  have  been  inexplainable  to  any  one  not  familiar 
with  their  habits.  The  night  was  so  sultry  that  the 
additional  warmth  should  have  been  unwelcome, 
and  they  had  no  intention  of  preparing  food,  all  hav- 
ing partaken  so  recently  that  its  need  was  not  felt. 
But,  as  we  know,  there  is  a  sociabihty,  when  in  the 
woods  at  night,  in  a  good,  roaring  blaze  which  sends 
its  glow  into  the  gloomy  depths  around.  Even  savages 
find  it  more  pleasant  to  look  in  one  another's  faces 
than  to  sit  or  lie  in  the  gloom  where  only  the  sound 
of  voices  or  the  glow  of  pipes  shows  that  one  has 
human  beings  within  call. 

Rarely  do  a  party  of  Indians  halt  for  the  night  with- 
out kindling  a  fire,  unless  safety  forbids  the  risk.  It 
was  for  this  reason  that  the  little  party  of  Winnebagoes 
gathered  woods  and  branches,  and  heaping  them 
together  applied  the  spark  by  means  of  flint  and 
steel,  after  the  manner  of  white  men. 

"Now,"  said  Jethro,  when  they  had  drawn  as 
near  as  prudent,  "we'll  have  a  look  at  those  fellows 
84 


An  Error  of  Judgment  85 

and  I  think  I  shall  be  able  to  tell  something  about 
them." 

Their  first  thought  was  of  steahng  alongshore  in 
their  canoe,  with  the  purpose  of  gaining  the  coveted 
view,  but  this  was  too  dangerous.  The  hght  thrown 
out  by  the  blaze  would  so  expose  them  as  to  make  it 
almost  certain  they  would  be  discovered.  The  only 
means  was  to  land  and  then  go  as  near  as  prudent. 
This  ought  to  be  easy  without  running  great  risk,  and 
it  was  agreed  it  should  be  done. 

Accordingly,  Auric  pressed  the  end  of  his  paddle 
against  the  bottom  and  forced  the  prow  of  the  canoe 
to  land. 

"There's  no  use  of  your  going,,"  whispered  Jethro. 

"Why  not?"  asked  his  comrade  in  surprise. 

"If  they  have  ever  shown  themselves  at  Dearborn, 
I  shall  know  it,  while  you  won't  be  able  to  identify 
them." 

"But  I  should  Hke  to  have  the  pleasure  of  admiring 
their  beautiful  faces  when  they  are  daubed  all  over 
with  paint." 

"As  you  please;  suppose  you  come  upon  them  from 
this  side,  while  I  pass  around  so  as  to  view  them  from 
a  different  point." 

"I'm  agreeable." 

Each  knew  the  need  of  caution,  and  therefore  did 
not  oifer  advice  to  the  other.  It  was  agreed  that 
after  gaining  a  satisfying  view  of  the  party,  they  should 


86  Black  Partridge 

make  their  way  back  to  the  boat  and  resume  their 
voyage  up  the  lake.  The  reconnoissance  ought  not 
to  take  more  than  half  an  hour. 

Since  Jethro  had  given  himself  the  longest  distance 
to  traverse,  Auric  stayed  near  the  canoe  for  some 
minutes  after  they  parted  company.  He  wished  that 
the  view  might  be  gained  by  each  about  the  same 
time. 

With  some  misgivings  as  to  the  prudence  of  his 
course,  Jethro  passed  well  into  the  wood,  keeping  so 
far  from  the  camp  that  he  could  catch  a  glimpse  only 
now  and  then  of  the  twinkle  of  the  blaze,  which  was 
kept  at  a  vigorous  point.  He  maintained  this  dis- 
tance until  he  had  traversed  the  quarter  circle  neces- 
sary to  place  the  camp  directly  between  him  and  the 
lake.  Then,  with  the  skill  of  a  veteran  scout  or  a 
Winnebago  himself,  he  crouched  low,  with  his  knees 
close  to  the  ground,  and  began  his  approach.  The 
undergrowth  was  so  dense  and  interwoven  that  it 
was  necessary  to  get  quite  near  to  the  camp  before  he 
could  scrutinize  the  company  with  satisfaction. 

Never  yielding  to  impatience  or  advancing  an  inch 
without  literally  feehng  his  way,  he  kept  this  up  until 
the  moment  came  when  the  coveted  view  was  gained. 
He  rose  to  the  standing  posture  behind  the  trunk  of  a 
large  tree,  that  seemed  to  be  oak,  though  he  could  not 
make  sure  in  the  darkness.  It  was  safe  for  him  to 
stand  thus  and,  without  removing  his  cap,  peep  out 


An  Error  of  Judgment  87 

from  behind  the  screen  at  the  company  in  which  he 
was  interested. 

The  sight  was  curious,  though  it  was  not  the  first 
time  he  had  looked  upon  similar  pictures.  Counting 
again,  he  saw  the  seven  Winnebagoes  were  before  him. 
It  was  easy  to  identify  the  chief,  from  his  gorgeous 
head-dress  of  stained  eagle  feathers  and  the  briUiancy 
of  the  gaudy  but  somewhat  tarnished  sash  which 
inclosed  his  ample  waist.  He  was  seated  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  oak  that  had  been  torn  off  by  the  light- 
ning bolt  and  lay  on  the  ground  at  the  base  of  the 
stump.  This  piece  was  two  or  three  feet  in  diameter, 
stretching  away  in  the  gloom,  where  the  withered 
branches  faintly  showed  in  the  firelight.  The  fire 
burned  almost  at  his  feet,  so  that  his  countenance 
and  body  were  in  as  plain  sight  as  if  the  sun  were 
shining.  He  had  leaned  his  rifle  against  the  log  be- 
side him,  and  was  smoking  a  long- stemmed  pipe  of 
red  clay.  His  head  was  bent,  and,  as  he  slowly  puffed 
the  vapor  from  his  coppery  lips,  his  eyes  remained 
dreamily  fixed  on  the  blaze,  as  if  he  were  sunk  in 
meditation  and  unconscious  of  his  companions  around 
him. 

A  foot  or  more  to  his  right  sat  a  warrior  occupied 
in  precisely  the  same  way.  Three  others  were  lolling 
on  the  ground  and  also  smoking,  though  they  occa- 
sionally said  something  to  one  another,  and  now 
and  then  shifted  their  position,  as  if  ill  at  ease.    The 


88  Black  Partridge 

remaining  two  were  stretched  out  at  full  length,  so 
motionless  that  it  was  evident  they  were  asleep. 

Naturally  the  young  scout  centred  his  attention 
on  the  chief.  His  first  impression  was  that  he  had 
seen  him  at  Fort  Dearborn,  but  the  relative  position 
of  the  two  prevented  his  making  sure  until  he  had 
studied  him  from  another  point  of  view,  or  the  sachem 
should  shift  the  position  of  his  face,  which  was  such 
that  the  light  did  not  fall  fairly  upon  it.  In  the  hope 
that  a  study  of  the  warriors  would  help,  Jethro  scanned 
each  in  turn,  so  far  as  the  situation  would  permit. 
He  did  not  recognize  one;  all  were  strangers. 

"That  makes  it  look  as  if  the  chieftain  is  also  a 
stranger,"  reflected  our  young  friend,  "but  I  should 
like  to  get  a  better  sight  of  him;  he  must  change  his 
pose  pretty  soon." 

But  the  minutes  passed  and  the  sachem  sat  as  if 
cast  in  bronze.  Time  was  slipping,  and,  anxious  to 
rejoin  his  friend  who  was  now  at  some  distance,  Jethro 
sank  down  behind  the  trunk,  and  began  stealing 
toward  another  tree  a  couple  of  rods  away.  He  was 
as  cautious  as  ever,  for  he  would  have  belied  his  train- 
ing had  he  been  otherwise.  Despite  all  his  care, 
however,  a  twig  snapped  under  his  knee,  though 
the  sound  was  so  slight  that  he  was  sure  it  did  not 
reach  the  camp.  Nevertheless,  he  raised  his  head 
and  peered  through  the  undergrowth  to  find  the  posi- 
tions of  the  chieftain  and  warriors  precisely  as  before. 


An  Error  of  Judgment  89 

Resuming  his  labored  progress,  Jethro  finally 
halted  behind  another  favoring  trunk,  somewhat  nearer 
the  camp.  Slowly  coming  to  the  upright  position 
again,  he  peeped  out  at  the  group  some  rods  away. 
At  the  moment  of  doing  so,  one  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
who  had  been  lolling  on  the  ground,  rose  to  his  feet, 
picked  up  a  number  of  sticks  lying  near,  and  flung 
them  on  the  blaze.  It  immediately  flared  up  and 
sent  out  a  stronger  illumination  than  ever.  Carefully 
looking  around  from  behind  the  tree,  the  youth  gained 
the  view  he  was  seeking. 

The  chief  had  taken  his  pipe  from  his  mouth,  and, 
turning  his  head,  so  as  to  bring  his  irregular  profile 
in  clear  relief,  was  saying  something  to  the  warrior 
sitting  on  his  right,  several  of  the  others  showing 
interest  in  his  words. 

The  first  fair  look  at  the  painted  countenance  showed 
Jethro  that  the  leader  was  a  stranger,  whom  he  had 
never  seen  until  now.  This  confirmed  him  in  the 
belief  that  the  party  had  come  from  the  other  side  of 
the  lake,  keeping  well  to  the  southward  while  doing 
so,  because  of  the  great  breadth  of  the  sheet  of  water. 
The  conclusion  from  this  discovery  was  that  these 
warriors  had  been  drawn  toward  Fort  Dearborn  be- 
cause of  the  growing  unrest  among  the  tribes.  They 
were  in  their  war  paint,  but  the  connection  between 
them  and  the  three  with  whom  our  young  friends  had 
had  a  collision  was  not  yet  explainable. 


9©  Black  Partridge 

Jethro  stood  for  some  minutes  studying  the  group, 
but,  after  all,  there  was  nothing  speciaUy  interesting 
in  them.  He  decided  to  make  his  way  back  to  his 
comrade,  and  then,  as  has  already  been  intimated, 
they  would  resume  their  voyage  for  Fort  Dearborn. 
The  youth  was  about  to  sink  to  the  ground  again, 
preparatory  to  withdrawing  far  enough  to  allow  him 
to  walk  freely,  when  a  curious  impulse  led  him  to 
count  the  group  once  more.  Somehow  or  other,  it 
struck  him  that  a  change  had  taken  place,  though  he 
was  far  from  suspecting  its  nature  until  he  had  made 
the  enumeration. 

To  his  amazement  there  were  only  six  in  the  group! 

Thinking  he  had  made  an  error,  though  with  so 
small  a  number  this  seemed  unlikely,  he  counted  them 
again.  One  had  certainly  disappeared,  and  the  next 
moment  he  saw  which  one  it  was. 

The  chief  and  his  companion  on  the  log  had  hardly 
moved.  As  has  been  shown,  the  warrior  who  re- 
plenished the  fire  was  a.  member  of  the  three  that  had 
been  lolling  on  the  ground.  Of  the  two  who  had 
seemed  to  be  asleep,  one  was  missing. 

He  must  have  risen  to  his  feet  while  Jethro  was 
changing  his  own  position,  and  had  withdrawn  his 
gaze  from  the  group.  Where  had  the  fellow  gone  and 
what  did  it  mean  ? 

"It  can't  mean  anything;  he  will  be  back  in  a 
minute — " 


An  Error  of  Judgment  91 

At  that  instant  the  lad  heard  a  footstep  behind 
him.  He  turned  his  head  like  a  flash.  Not  twenty 
feet  away,  in  the  glow  of  the  camp-fire,  which  shot 
beyond  the  tree  that  had  sheltered  the  youth,  stood 
the  vanished  Winnebago,  looking  calmly  at  him. 
He  held  his  rifle  grasped  with  both  hands,  the  muzzle 
lowered,  but  the  position  such  that  he  could  bring 
it  to  his  shoulder  and  fire  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 
If  ever  one  person  had  "the  drop"  on  another,  the 
Indian  had  it  on  Jethro  Judd. 

"Hooh!  Brudder!  hooh!"  he  muttered  in  his  gruff 
voice,  the  words  being  the  only  ones  —  if  they  can  be 
considered  words  —  which  the  redskin  was  able  to 
utter  in  English. 

And  like  a  flash,  too,  the  explanation  of  the  disaster 
came  to  the  victim.  The  keen  ear  of  the  Indian  had 
heard  the  soft  snapping  of  a  twig,  and,  suspecting  its 
meaning,  had  slipped  unseen  to  the  rear  of  the  point 
whence  the  sound  came,  and  stolen  upon  the  lad  with- 
out a  shadow  of  suspicion  on  his  part. 

Having  uttered  his  exclamation,  the  Winnebago 
held  his  ground,  waiting  to  see  what  his  captive  in- 
tended to  do.  As  for  Jethro,  he  was  quick  to  realize 
he  could  do  nothing  at  all.  Had  he  been  given  the 
slightest  warning  of  what  was  coming,  he  would  have 
made  instant  use  of  his  gun,  and  then  trusted  to  his 
heels  and  the  darkness  to  escape  the  others;  but  it 
was  beyond  his  power  to  do  anything  of  that  sort  now. 


92  Black  Partridge 

It  only  remained  to  make  the  best  of  a  situation  that 
seemingly  could  be  no  worse. 

With  that  optimisim  which  is  a  part  of  every  healthy 
boy's  nature,  the  thought  came  to  him  that  smce  he 
had  received  no  real  proof  of  the  enmity  of  this  party,  it 
might  be  that  they  were  friends,  or  at  least  indifferent 
enough  to  refrain  from  harming  him.  He  stepped 
from  behind  the  tree,  and,  with  a  cordiality  which  it  is 
unnecessary  to  say  was  hypocritical,  called : 

"How  do  you  do,  brother?" 

Jethro  did  not  dare  step  toward  him,  lest  this  captor 
should  take  it  as  a  hostile  sign  and  use  his  gun.  He 
faced  the  other  way,  and  walked  forward  into  the  full 
glow  of  the  camp-fire.  The  moment  he  started,  the 
six  raised  their  eyes  and  looked  at  him.  A  slight 
noise  from  the  rear  told  Jethro  that  his  captor  was 
following.  The  lad  would  have  liked  to  look  back, 
but  was  afraid  to  do  so. 

When  so  near  the  blaze  that  the  heat  was  uncom- 
fortable, Jethro  halted,  and,  looking  at  the  chief, 
made  a  military  salute  and  repeated  his  greeting: 

"How  do  you  do,  brother?" 

The  sachem  did  not  stir,  but  fixing  his  glittering 
eyes  on  him,  and  keeping  the  stem  of  his  pipe  between 
his  lips,  grunted.     The  others  stared  and  were  silent. 

"Speak  English?"  asked  the  prisoner,  glancing 
from  one  face  to  another.  He  was  not  answered. 
No  one  present  could  understand  him,  or  if  he  did,  he 


An  Error  of  Judgment  93 

pretended  ignorance.  This  made  the  situation  of 
the  youth  painfully  embarrassing,  for  he  did  not  know 
what  to  do,  and  his  captors  showed  no  hurry  in  decid- 
ing what  they  should  do  with  him.  Fortunately  he 
had  stood  thus  but  a  brief  while,  when  the  suspense 
was  broken  by  a  startling  occurrence. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  Auric  Kingdon  had  chosen 
almost  the  opposite  side  of  the  camp  for  his  recon- 
noissance,  and  he  waited  in  order  to  give  his  comrade 
a  chance  to  make  his  inspection  at  the  same  time. 
Although  Auric  knew  almost  the  precise  point  where 
his  friend  would  make  his  first  survey,  and  he  peered 
keenly  across  the  camp  in  that  direction,  he  did 
not  catch  the  most  flitting  glimpse.  It  would  have 
been  strange  had  he  done  so,  when  Jethro  took  such 
care  to  avoid  detection.  If  Auric  could  have  seen 
him,  it  would  have  been  equally  easy  for  the  Winne- 
bagoes  to  do  the  same,  and,  imprudent  as  the  youth 
had  been,  he  was  incapable  of  such  stupidity. 

Since  all  the  Winnebagoes  were  strangers  to  Auric, 
he  was  anxious  to  leave  the  place  without  any  further 
delay.  He  was  sorry  the  halt  had  been  made.  It  was 
a  mistake  that  could  do  them  no  good  and  might 
bring  harm.  He  regretted  it,  but  all  he  could  now 
do  was  to  await  the  return  of  his  friend,  which  he 
hoped  would  not  be  long  postponed. 

From  Auric's  position,  as  carefully  guarded  as  that 
of  the  other,  he  saw  the  warrior  rise  abruptly  from 


94  Black  Partridge 

the  ground,  in  response  to  a  sharp  command  of  the 
chief,  and  move  off  into  the  wood.  But  little  did  the 
watcher  dream  of  the  meaning  of  the  act. 

The  surprise  came  when  he  observed  Jethro  walk 
forth  into  the  glow  of  the  camp-fire,  halt  in  front  of 
the  chieftain,  salute  and  address  him.  Auric  naturally 
supposed  that  he  had  recognized  a  friend  in  him, 
though,  even  on  that  theory,  the  action  of  the  youth 
was  imprudent.  Not  until  the  warrior  that  was  fol- 
lowing him  came  into  view  did  a  suspicion  of  the 
truth  come  to  the  dismayed  Auric.  The  pose  of  the 
single  Indian,  with  his  gun  ready  to  use,  and  his  halt 
directly  behind  Jethro,  made  the  astonishing  truth 
plain;  the  youth  had  been  taken  prisoner. 

The  feelings  of  Auric  perhaps  can  be  imagined, 
but  for  a  minute  or  two  he  was  at  his  wits'  end.  Could 
he  do  anything  for  his  friend,  and,  if  so,  what  ? 

Yes:  there  was  one  and  only  one  thing  for  him  to 
do.  Stepping  from  behind  his  screen  he  strode  for- 
ward, never  pausing  until  he  was  within  a  pace  or 
two  of  the  other.  The  Winnebagoes  surveyed  the 
new  arrival  with  wonder.  To  them  the  reason  was  a 
mystery. 

As  for  Jethro  he  was  quick  to  comprehend  and 
was  indignant. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  he  asked  angrily;  "is  it  not 
enough  that  I  should  make  a  fool  of  myself  without 
your  doing  the  same?" 


An  Error  of  Judgment  95 

"Aren't  you  in  a  bad  scrape,  Jet?" 

"Certainly;  the  worst  of  my  life," 

"Well,  I'm  going  to  stand  by  you;  did  you  expect 
me  to  sneak  off  and  run  away  and  leave  you  in  such  a 
fix?    I  ain't  that  sort  of  chap.  Jet." 

His  comrade  was  touched,  for  he  appreciated  the 
unselfishness  of  his  friend.  None  the  less,  he  regretted 
it. 

"But  you  can  do  me  no  good,  Auric;  it  was  very 
good  in  you  and  perhaps  I  should  have  done  the  same 
for  you." 

"Of  course  you  would,  old  fellow,  so  say  nothing 
more  about  it." 

"Well,  we're  in  for  it!    We  can  do  nothing." 

"You  forget  one  thing.  Jet;  I  understand  their 
lingo  and  you  don't;  do  you  know  whether  any  of 
them  speak  English?" 

"I  think  not,  but  can't  be  sure." 

"Very  well;  I  shall  pick  up  some  interesting  knowl- 
edge." 

"I  can't  see  that  it  will  do  you  any  good,  for  they 
will  act  as  they  choose,  without  regard  to  that.  If  we 
don't  understand  their  words,  we  shall  know  what 
their  actions  mean." 

During  this  brief  interchange  the  chieftain  and  his 
warriors  continued  gazing  at  the  lads  without  speak- 
ing or  making  any  move  to  interfere  with  them.  The 
curious  situation,  however,  could  not  last. 


96  Black   Partridge 

"Are  they  strangers  to  you?"  asked  Auric. 

"I  never  saw  any  of  them  before." 

"Then  they  don't  belong  near  Dearborn;  they  must 
have  come  across  the  lake,  though  plenty  of  their 
tribe  are  hanging  round  the  fort." 

"How  would  it  do,  Auric,  for  you  to  speak  to  the 
chief  in  his  own  tongue?" 

"I  have  been  thinking  about  that,  but  its  best  to 
wait;  I  don't  see  what  good  it  can  do  either  of  us." 

"It  may  please  him,  for  it  will  show  that  you  have 
associated  with  his  people;  you  might  make  him  be- 
lieve you  have  Hved  among  them;  so  you  have,  though 
not  as  long  as  he  would  think." 

"I'll  wait  till  they  have  talked  among  themselves; 
I  shall  be  likely  to  pick  up  something  that  may  be  of 
use  when  I  start  in  with  Winnebago—  helloa!" 

From  some  point  in  the  woods  came  a  shout,  its 
nature  showing  that  it  was  emitted  by  an  Indian. 
The  chief  himself  replied,  while  all  showed  an  interest 
in  the  expected  arrival.  The  sachem  straightened 
up  on  the  log,  but  did  not  rise.  His  companion  came 
to  his  feet,  as  did  those  lolling  on  the  earth,  including 
the  one  who  seemed  to  be  asleep. 

The  next  minute  a  warrior  came  into  sight,  followed 
by  a  second  and  a  third. 

The  first  had  a  number  of  broad  green  leaves  tied 
with  deer  thongs  about  his  upper  right  arm. 

The  second  showed  a  similar  clumsy  bandage  held 


An  Error  of  Judgment  97 

in  place  at  his  shoulder,  the  arm  of  which  hung  use- 
less at  his  side. 

The  third,  walking  at  the  rear,  was  unharmed. 

The  three  were  Wag-ma- rah  and  his  friends,  with 
whom  the  youths  had  had  their  fight  earlier  in  the 
evening. 


CHAPTER  IX 

AT  COURT 

If  Auric  Kingdon  and  Jethro  Judd  had  been  hope- 
ful, even  in  a  slight  degree,  of  a  "benevolent  neu- 
trality" on  the  part  of  the  Winnebagoes,  such  hope 
now  vanished,  with  the  arrival  of  the  three  warriors 
whom  they  had  fought,  with  the  result  of  wound- 
ing two  of  them.  The  enmity  which  they  showed 
in  making  the  attack  upon  the  youths  in  their  canoe 
was  intensified  by  the  consequences  of  such  attack. 

When  Auric  recognized  the  trio  as  they  emerged 
from  the  wood  and  entered  the  circle  of  light  thrown 
out  by  the  camp-fire,  he  turned  to  his  companion, 
compressed  his  lips,  and  shook  his  head. 

"We're  in  for  it  now,  Jet." 

The  latter  nodded:  there  could  be  no  question  of 
that  fact. 

They  noted  the  malignant  glare  of  the  party  as  they 
came  forward,  but,  before  giving  the  prisoners  atten- 
tion, they  must  make  explanations  to  the  chief,  whose 
orders  they  had  disobeyed.  Every  one  of  the  com- 
pany, with  the  exception  of  the  leader,  rose  to  his 
feet.  The  latter  remained  seated  on  the  log,  and 
98 


At  Court 


99 


sharply  surveyed  Wag-ma-rah,  who,  standing  a  few 
paces  in  front  of  his  wounded  companions,  spoke 
for  them  and  himself.  Auric  and  Jethro  were  a  little 
to  the  left  of  the  newcomers,  and  they,  like  the  rest, 
kept  their  attention  upon  the  sachem  who  was  master 
of  ceremonies.  Placed  thus.  Auric,  in  a  low  voice, 
translated  the  utterances  for  his  friend. 

The  chief  was  the  first  to  speak.  His  iron  features 
assumed  a  greater  sternness  of  expression  when  he 
addressed  Wag-ma-rah. 

"He  asks  him  why  he  did  not  come  to  this  place, 
as  he  was  told  to  do,  and  wait  for  Bur-no-mo,  —  that 
must  be  the  name  of  the  chief  himself,"  said  Auric. 

"Wag-ma-rah  repHes  that  while  on  his  way  to  do 
so,  his  canoe  was  stolen  by  us  —  Oh,  what  a  liar  he 
is!"  muttered  the  interpreter. 

"The  chief  wants  to  know  the  particulars;  I  wonder 
if  Wag-ma-rah  can  get  up  a  yam  that  will  pass  muster. 
He  says  they  had  gone  ashore  to  hunt,  and  when  they 
came  back  the  young  thieves  —  that  means  us  — 
were  a  half  mile  away  in  the  boat,  but  near  the  beach. 
They  pursued  us,  and  we  ran  the  canoe  ashore  and 
took  to  the  woods.  (Why  should  we  do  that  ?)  They 
came  up  and  took  the  boat  and  we  fired  upon  them 
from  the  wood  and  wounded  the  two  warriors.  They 
would  have  followed  and  slain  us,  had  not  the  hurts 
of  the  couple  required  attention.  To  dress  the  wounds 
as  we  see  they  did,  in  their  rough  way,  took  them 


100  Black  Partridge 

so  long  that  they  were  kept  from  coming  to  this  place 
till  after  the  time  fixed  upon.  How  will  that  do,  Jet, 
for  a  first-class  whopper?"  asked  Auric,  who,  despite 
the  gravity  of  the  situation,  was  amused  by  the  superb 
falsifying.     "Shall  I  give  the  old  fellow  the  truth?" 

"No;  he  wouldn't  believe  you;  maybe  he  doesn't 
believe  Wag-ma- rah;  if  he  knew  as  much  about  him 
as  I  do  he  wouldn't  credit  a  word  he  says." 

"I  hope  the  chief  will  ask  him  to  explain  where  our 
canoe  was  when  all  this  was  going  on,"  said  Auric, 
listening  closely  to  the  conversation. 

But  the  sachem  did  not  put  the  question. 

"He  is  asking  him  when  he  left  Fort  Dearborn," 
explained  Auric;  "now  we  shall  hear  something 
interesting." 

The  youth  kept  up  his  running  interpretation. 

"Wag-ma- rah  says  they  came  away  yesterday  in 
the  night,  so  no  one  would  know  where  they  were 
going.  They  intended  to  follow  you  and  make  you 
prisoner;  then  they  would  push  on  toward  Fort  Wayne 
till  they  gathered  me  in.  That  makes  clear  a  part 
of  this  business,  provided  Wag-ma-rah  is  speaking 
the  truth,  which  is  mighty  hard  for  him  to  do." 

"Why  did  they  want  to  make  us  captives?"  Jethro 
asked. 

"Listen,  and  maybe  we  shall  learn.  The  scamp 
must  have  known  when  you  left  Fort  Dearborn  that 
you  were  on  your  way  to  meet  me,   though   from 


At  Court  10 1 

what  he  said,  he  started  ahead  of  you.     Ah,  here  it 


comes 


Auric  allowed  the  two  to  talk  for  several  minutes 
before  he  explained  their  words  to  his  friend.  He 
wished  to  have  a  connected  story. 

"It  was  a  cunning  scheme,"  he  said;  "they  meant  to 
take  us  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake  where  some  of  their 
tribe  has  a  village  and  hold  us  there  as  hostages.  They 
have  found  out  in  some  way  that  orders  have  been  sent 
to  Captain  Heald  to  abandon  the  fort  and  take  his  sol- 
diers and  all  the  people  to  Detroit.  The  captain  has 
a  big  supply  of  goods,  including  liquor,  which  the 
Indians  are  anxious  to  get;  they  will  agree  to  surren- 
der you  and  me,  provided  the  captain  will  exchange 
his  goods  for  us.  I  wonder  if  that's  true,"  added 
Auric,  turning  in  some  excitement  to  his  comrade. 

"We  can't  telL  except  that  it  isn't  true  now;  what 
do  you  suppose  they  would  do,  if  they  once  laid  hands 
on  us?" 

"I  daresn't  think  —  wait!" 

Again  the  interpreter  listened  for  a  few  minutes 
before  translating. 

"Wag-ma- rah  has  asked  that  he  be  allowed  to 
carry  out  his  plan.  He  says  he  will  take  us  to  the 
other  side  of  the  lake  and  then  come  back  and  let 
Captain  Heald  know  what  can  be  done.  The  chief 
seems  struck  with  the  idea,  but  you  saw  him  shake  his 
head  just  now.    As  he  did  so,  he  replied  that  he  would 


102  Black  Partridge 

have  been  willing  had  Wag-ma-rah  and  his  warriors 
made  us  prisoners,  but  we  belong  to  him  and  not  to 
Wag-ma-rah.  I  say,  Jet,  that's  a  good  point,"  added 
Auric;  "I  hope  Bur-no-mo  will  stick  to  it." 

From  what  he  had  been  told,  Jethro  knew  Wag- 
ma-rah  was  urging  his  views  upon  the  chief,  who 
must  have  been  a  man  of  considerable  authority, 
thus  to  be  deferred  to  by  three  warriors  of  his  tribe 
who  were  not  under  his  direct  control.  The  sachem 
was  seen  to  shake  his  head,  and  once  a  grim  smile 
lit  up  his  painted  visage,  as  if  he  was  pleased  over  the 
advantage  which  he  had  gained  through  the  action 
of  the  boys  themselves. 

But  whatever  amusement  our  young  friends  might 
have  felt  speedily  yielded  before  the  pleadings  that 
followed.  Finding  the  chief  would  not  agree  to  the 
first  proposal  of  Wag-ma-rah,  the  latter  appealed  to 
the  most  powerful  motive  that  sways  the  nature  of 
the  American  Indian  —  revenge.  These  pale-faced 
youths  he  claimed  had  committed  an  unpardonable 
outrage,  for  which  they  could  not  be  too  savagely 
punished.  He  made  the  frightful  proposal  that  they 
should  be  burned  at  the  stake  then  and  there! 

Auric  held  his  breath,  and  paled  at  these  dreadful 
words.  Jethro  knew  that  something  horrible  was 
in  the  air,  but  awaited  the  explanation. 

The  chief  was  quite  willing  to  enjoy  with  his  war- 
riors such  a  pleasing  entertainment,  as  it  is  to  be 


At  Court  103 

feared  he  had  done  in  former  instances,  and  the  only 
question  that  restrained  him  was  the  fear  of  conse- 
quences. Although  war  had  been  declared  between 
England  and  the  United  States,  and  the  red  men 
would  fight  for  the  former,  such  awful  practices  would 
be  frowned  upon  by  their  alhes  as  much  as  by  their 
enemies.  The  truth  would  be  sure  to  come  out  sooner 
or  later,  and  then  it  might  be  made  unpleasant  for 
all  concerned. 

Wag-ma- rah  insisted  that  the  truth  need  never 
be  known.  If  it  should,  how  could  it  be  determined 
who  the  guilty  ones  were?  Protected  by  their  Great 
Father  across  the  ocean,  how  could  the  Americans 
manage  to  get  them  in  their  power? 

These  were  strong  arguments,  and  had  their  efifect 
upon  the  sachem  with  whom  the  decision  rested. 
He  was  disposed  to  grant  the  request,  and  his  hesita- 
tion was  probably  in  the  nature  of  punishment  for 
Wag-ma-rah's  disregard  of  his  orders.  Had  he  been 
found  at  this  place  with  the  boys  as  his  captives,  the 
chieftain  would  not  have  made  any  opposition  to  his 
prayer.  Rather  he  would  have  favored  it,  for  he  was 
an  unadulterated  savage  through  and  through. 

"Great  heavens!"  whispered  the  terrified  Auric, 
after  explaining  the  awful  question  that  hung  in  the 
balance,  "I  believe  the  chieftain  means  to  consent." 

"To  bum  us  at  the  stake?"  gasped  Jethro,  upon 
whose  forehead  the  cold  perspiration  gathered. 


104  Black  Partridge 

"That's  what  they  are  talking  about.  The  chief 
pretends  he  is  afraid  our  people  will  find  it  out,  but 
I  think  he  says  so  only  to  plague  Wag-ma-rah,  and* 
by  and  by  will  allow  him  to  do  as  he  pleases  with  us." 

*'At  the  first  move  they  make  we  must  dash  into 
the  woods." 

"It  won't  do  us  the  least  good;  they  will  grab  us 
before  we  take  a  half  dozen  steps;  I've  something  in 
mind  better  than  that." 

"What  is  it?" 

"As  soon  as  the  decision  is  made  I'll  raise  my 
gun  and  shoot  Wag-ma-rah  dead  in  his  tracks;  you 
do  the  same  with  the  chief,  who  is  as  much  responsible 
as  he." 

"And  what  then?" 

"Dive  among  the  trees." 

"How  shall  we  have  a  better  chance  than  now?" 

"It  will  throw  them  into  confusion  for  a  minute  or 
two  and  we  can  take  advantage  of  that,  but  I'll  own 
we  haven't  one  chance  in  a  milHon." 

"I  think  the  time  has  come,  Auric,  for  you  to  say 
something  to  the  chief;  it  won't  do  any  hurt  and  pos- 
sibly may  help  us." 

"I'll  try  it." 

Wag-ma-rah  was  urging  his  views  on  the  sachem, 
when  the  youth,  prefacing  his  words  with  a  military 
salute,  addressed  Bur-no-mo: 

"Let  not  the  great  chief  of  the  Winnebagoes  listen 


At  Court  105 

to  the  words  of  Wag-ma- rah,  who  is  a  snake;  his 
tongue  is  forked;  he  has  told  Ues  to  the  mighty 
Bur-no-mo." 

These  words  were  spoken  in  what  might  be  called 
classical  Winnebago,  and,  to  put  it  mildly  they  made 
a  sensation.  No  member  of  the  party  had  dreamed 
that  a  word  which  passed  among  them  was  under- 
stood by  either  of  the  captives,  and  one  of  them  was 
now  using  the  tongue  as  if  to  the  manner  bom. 

Every  eye  was  fixed  upon  the  face  of  Auric,  and 
there  could  be  no  mistaking  the  wonder  felt  by  Chief 
Bur-no-mo  upon  hearing  himself  addressed  in  this 
fashion.  Even  Wag-ma- rah  looked  in  astonishment 
at  the  audacious  youth,  and  must  have  felt  a  momen- 
tary chagrin  to  reflect  that  his  grotesque  version  of 
their  fight  was  understood  by  the  prisoner. 

Having  made  his  speech.  Auric  Kingdon  remained 
facing  the  chieftain  and  awaiting  his  reply.  A  minute 
passed  without  any,  and  he  added: 

"Wag-ma- rah  and  his  warriors  are  dogs  and  squaws; 
what  he  told  the  great  chieftain  Bur-no-mo,  who  speaks 
with  a  single  tongue,  is  a  lie.  We  were  paddling  in 
our  canoe  along  the  lake  when  he  fired  his  rifle  at  us. 
The  distance  was  short,  but  his  hand  trembled  so  that 
his  bullet  went  wide  of  the  mark;  he  was  afraid,  for 
he  knew  we  had  no  fear  of  him;  then  I  raised  my  gun 
and  shot;  the  single  bullet  wounded  these  two  war- 
riors; then  Wag-ma- rah  was  so  scared  that  he  could 


io6  Black  Partridge 

not  move;  we  took  pity  on  him  and  paddled  away; 
he  bellowed  like  the  two  that  were  struck  by  my  bullet, 
and  they  begged  us  to  spare  them." 

It  will  be  observed  that  our  young  friend,  in  the 
excitement  of  the  occasion  perhaps,  exaggerated 
somewhat,  and  got  his  facts  a  little  askew,  but  he 
certainly  had  palliation  for  doing  so.  The  effect  of 
Auric's  astonishing  narrative  was  peculiar.  Wag-ma- 
rah  turned  his  head  to  look  at  him  the  moment  he 
spoke  his  first  word  in  his  tongue.  When  he  heard 
the  blistering  terms  in  which  the  youth  referred  to 
him,  his  eyes  flashed  and  he  laid  his  hand  on  the  hilt 
of  the  knife  at  his  girdle.  Auric  drew  back  the  ham- 
mer of  his  rifle,  ready  to  shoot  on  the  first  demon- 
stration. The  attention  of  every  one  was  centred 
upon  the  couple. 

Chief  Bur-no-mo  did  a  remarkable  thing.  He 
raised  his  hand,  peremptorily  ordered  his  warrior  to 
refrain,  and  then  laughed,  clearly  and  unmistakably! 

It  is  rarely  that  the  American  Indian  indulges  in 
mirth,  especially  in  such  exceptional  circumstances 
as  the  present,  but  the  chief  could  not  fail  to  see  the 
humorous  element  in  the  situation.  The  yam  spun 
by  Wag-ma- rah  had  been  challenged  to  his  face  by 
the  last  person  in  the  world  who  was  expected  to  do  a 
thing  of  that  nature. 

"Does  my  brother  speak  with  a  single  tongue?" 
asked  the  chieftain  of  the  youth. 


Chief  Bur-no-mo  laughs  Page  106 


At  Court  107 

"He  is  not  like  the  dog  Wag-ma-rah,  who  sat  at  the 
table  of  the  white  man  and  then  tried  to  slay  him; 
if  he  dared  he  would  slay  the  great  and  good  chieftain 
Bur-no-mo  because  he  stands  in  his  path." 

Ignoring  this  somewhat  forceful  remark,  the  sachem 
asked : 

"How  does  my  son  speak  with  the  tongue  of  my 
people?" 

"I  have  spent  many  happy  days  among  them;  I 
have  slept  in  their  lodges  and  I  have  hunted  the  forests 
for  game  with  them;  the  Winnebagoes  are  my  friends, 
—  all  excepting  the  dog  of  a  Wag-ma-rah  and  the 
warriors  with  him  who  sought  our  lives." 

It  would  be  interesting  could  we  know  the  thoughts 
of  the  chieftain,  while  listening  to'  these  remarkable 
words  of  the  youthful  prisoner.  He  must  have  felt 
a  certain  admiration  for  one  who  dared  thus  to  refer 
to  the  savage  warrior  standing  almost  at  his  elbow, 
and  ready  to  shoot  him  upon  the  first  demonstration 
of  enmity.  Then,  too,  it  was  pleasant  to  hear  the  lad 
speak  in  the  tongue  of  the  Winnebago. 

Bur-no-mo  shifted  his  glance  to  Jethro  Judd.  Under- 
standing his  meaning,  Auric  shook  his  head. 

"He  does  not  speak  the  tongue  of  the  mighty  chief- 
tain, but  he  is  my  friend ;  he  is  the  friend  of  Mr.  Kinzie 
at  Fort  Dearborn,  whom  all  Indians  love,  for  he 
is  a  good  and  just  man." 

All   this   was   true,  but   how   would   it  affect   the 


io8  Black  Partridge 

disposition  of  the  chief  to  grant  the  request  of  Wag- 
ma- rah  that  the  captive  should  be  tortured?  Auric 
tried  to  clinch  the  momentous  question. 

"If  Bur-no-mo  lets  the  dog  of  Wag-ma- rah  do  as 
he  wishes  with  us  the  news  will  go  to  our  Great  Father 
at  Detroit,  and  he  will  punish  all  the  Winnebagoes 
and  their  chieftain,  because  he  allowed  Wag-ma- rah 
to  put  us  to  death." 

"Who  shall  carry  the  tidings  to  the  Great  Father?" 
It  was  a  significant  question  indeed,  and  one  which 
Auric  could  not  answer.  Despite  the  good  impression 
he  had  made,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  frightful  fate 
which  was  impending  would  not  have  been  averted, 
but  for  an  unexpected  interruption  at  the  critical 
moment,  when  the  last  ray  of  hope  seemed  to  have 
fled. 


CHAPTER  X 

BLACK   PARTRIDGE 

When  the  situation  was  at  its  tensest  point,  a 
brawny  Indian  walked  out  from  the  forest,  and  paused 
in  the  circle  of  hght  in  front  of  the  chieftain,  whose 
astonishment  was  as  profound  as  that  of  his  warriors. 
He  came  from  the  direction  of  the  lake,  moving  so 
softly  through  the  wood  and  undergrowth  that  not 
the  slightest  sound  was  made  by  his  moccasins.  He 
was  unusually  tall,  quite  thin,  and  wore  the  usual 
dress  of  his  race,  being  without  any  blanket  because 
of  the  sultriness  of  the  season.  At  his  waist  were 
the  tomahawk  and  hunting  knife  of  his  people,  and 
he  carried  a  long  flint-lock  rifle  in  his  hand.  Three 
stained  eagle  feathers  protruded  from  his  crown,  the 
loose,  heavy,  black  hair  dangling  about  his  shapely 
shoulders.  He  was  in  middle  life,  with  rather  attract- 
ive features  that  were  more  regular  in  contour  than 
is  generally  seen  among  his  kind.  It  was  notable 
that  he  had  no  paint  on  his  face;  unlike  those  around 
him,  he  was  not  on  the  war  path. 

"Black  Partridge!"  exclaimed  the  delighted  Jethro, 
who  in  his  pleasure  stepped  forward  and  impulsively 
109 


no  Black  Partridge 

offered  his  hand.  Auric  did  the  same,  for  he  knew 
the  distinguished  Pottawatomie  well.  Black  Partridge 
gravely  shook  hands  with  each  in  turn,  but  did  not  speak 
or  make  any  response  to  the  exclamation  of  Jethro: 

"I  never  was  so  glad  in  my  life  to  see  you,  Black 
Partridge;  you  couldn't  have  come  at  a  better  time." 

The  two  chiefs  belonged  to  different  tribes,  but  that 
the  Pottawatomie  was  the  greater  was  proved  by  the 
action  of  the  Winnebago,  who  instantly  rose  to  his 
feet  and  said  with  every  appearance  of  respect: 

"Bur-no-mo  welcomes  his  brother,  the  great  and 
good  Black  Partridge,  and  he  will  be  glad  to  serve 
him  in  any  way  he  can." 

This  was  said  in  his  own  tongue,  which  the  visitor 
understood  as  well  as  his  own.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  Auric  Kingdon,  who,  as  you  will  remember, 
possessed  a  peculiar  gift  for  acquiring  the  dialect  of 
the  red  men.  Of  course,  Jethro  had  to  depend  upon 
his  observation,  which  gave  him  a  general  idea  of  the 
trend  of  matters. 

Black  Partridge  had  some  knowledge  of  the  situa- 
tion, but  he  could  not  know  all.  The  sight  of  two 
wounded  Winnebagoes,  and  the  interview  going  on 
between  Wag-ma- rah  and  Auric  on  one  hand  and 
Bur-no-mo  on  the  other,  had  grave  significance,  with 
which  he  meant  to  acquaint  himself  at  once.  His 
demeanor  was  dignified,  and,  looking  sternly  into  the 
face  of  the  chieftain,  he  asked: 


Black  Partridge  iii 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  that  which  I  see?  Why 
are  my  young  friends  standing  here  in  the  presence 
of  Bur-no-mo?  And  what  has  he"  pointing  scorn- 
fully at  Wag-ma- rah,  "to  do  with  all  this?" 

"My  son  will  answer  Black  Partridge,"  repHed 
the  chieftain,  with  a  shadowy  grin  on  his  painted 
visage.  Evidently  there  was  a  vein  of  waggery  in 
the  composition  of  the  Winnebago  leader,  who  en- 
joyed the  discomfiture  of  the  malignant  warrior. 
When  the  visitor  turned  inquiringly  to  Auric,  he 
hurriedly  told  his  story,  but  he  did  so  in  English,  for 
he  aimed  to  stick  closely  to  the  truth,  and  did  not  wish 
the  other  chief  to  know  he  had  not  done  so  in  the 
former  instance. 

"He  has  told  you  everything," '  Jethro  hastened  to 
add.  "Wag-ma- rah  wants  to  bum  us  at  the  stake, 
and  he  would  do  so  but  for  you." 

After  his  contemptuous  reference  to  the  miscreant. 
Black  Partridge  scorned  to  give  him  notice  for  the 
moment.  He  addressed  the  chief  in  low,  threatening 
tones: 

"Would  my  brother  have  permitted  this?" 

"No,"  was  the  prompt  response,  and  it  can  never 
be  known  whether  or  not  the  Winnebago  spoke  the 
truth.     But  he  held  the  more  exalted  chieftain  in  awe. 

"It  is  well;  had  Bur-no-mo  done  so  I  should  have 
brained  him  with  my  own  tomahawk!  I  would  have 
slain  Wag-ma- rah  and  carried  the  news  to  the  Great 


112  Black  Partridge 

Father  at  Detroit,  who  would  have  treated  every 
one  of  the  Winnebagoes  in  the  same  way." 

This  was  certainly  putting  the  matter  in  a  strong 
light,  but  it  may  be  pleaded  that  the  circumstances 
warranted  it.  The  wrath  of  Black  Partridge  was  fear- 
ful. Whipping  out  his  tomahawk,  he  turned  fiercely 
on  the  cowering  Wag-ma- rah. 

"Begone!  you  and  your  warriors!" 

One  command  was  sufficient.  The  terrified  Winne- 
bago slunk  back  a  few  paces  till  he  stood  beside  his 
wounded  comrades,  to  whom  he  said  something  in 
an  excited  undertone.  Then  all  three  wheeled  and 
sped  into  the  woods  like  frightened  sheep. 

Bur-no-mo  actually  threw  back  his  head  and  shook 
with  laughter.  It  was  the  best  joke  he  had  seen  in  a 
long  time,  and  his  way  of  showing  it  was  unprece- 
dented. Even  our  young  friends  smiled,  as  they  could 
well  afford  to  do. 

But  there  was  no  smile  on  the  face  of  Black  Par- 
tridge. His  angry  demeanor  quickly  subdued  the 
mirth  of  the  Winnebago,  who  listened  respectfully 
to  his  words. 

"My  sons  have  been  kept  here  too  long;  they  will 
go  with  me  to  Fort  Dearborn;  does  my  brother  go 
there?" 

Bur-no-mo  signified  that  such  was  his  intention.  He 
had  heard  that  Captain  Heald  and  his  soldiers  were 
soon  to  leave  the  place,  and  they  wished  to  witness 


Black  Partridge  113 

his  departure.  The  cunning  scamp  gave  no  hint  of 
the  plunder  which  he  hoped  to  secure. 

"A  good  many  of  his  people  are  already  there,  but 
there  is  room  for  all  that  choose  to  come.  I  bid  my 
brother  good  night." 

The  Pottawatomie  made  a  half  military  salute  and 
answered : 

"Bur-no-mo  is  the  friend  of  the  great  Black  Par- 
tridge; what  he  tells  him  to  do,  that  he  will  do." 

Without  further  response.  Black  Partridge  said  to 
Auric  : 

"Go  to  the  lake;  I  will  follow  you." 

The  wise  fellow  was  taking  no  chances.  He  knew 
none  of  the  party  dare  offer  him  harm,  but  a  stealthy 
shot  might  be  fired  at  one  of  the  youths,  if  the  tempta- 
tion was  inviting  enough.  It  need  not  be  said  that 
Auric  did  not  hesitate.  Hardly  had  the  command 
been  given,  when  the  procession  started  for  the  lake 
near  at  hand.  No  demonstration  was  made  against 
them,  and  a  minute  later  all  stood  beside  the  two 
canoes,  for  Black  Partridge  had  drawn  up  his  boat 
alongside  that  of  his  friends. 

This  distinguished  leader  of  the  Pottawatomies, 
who  is  identified  with  the  early  history  of  Chicago, 
was  never  demonstrative.  Few  of  his  race  are.  Know- 
ing this,  the  boys,  whose  lives  he  had  been  the  means 
of  saving,  restrained  the  ardor  of  their  gratitude, 
and  silently  awaited  his  commands. 


114  Black  Partridge 

His  demeanor  was  curious.  Instead  of  shoving 
his  canoe  clear  of  the  land  he  stood  at  the  prow, 
evidently  meditating  some  weighty  question  to  which 
he  made  no  reference.  The  moon,  that  was  near  the 
full,  had  risen,  and  was  far  up  the  sky,  its  reflection 
showing  upon  the  rippling  water  at  their  feet.  The 
ribbon  of  shadow  alongshore  was  so  narrowed  that 
the  stem  of  the  youths'  boat  caught  the  faint  light. 

The  Pottawatomie  stood  thus  for  two  or  three 
minutes,  his  fine  figure  dimly  outlined  in  the  gloom, 
while  he  seemed  oblivious  of  the  presence  of  any  one 
else.  The  boys  were  puzzled,  but  knew  better  than 
to  question  him.  When  he  chose,  he  would  give  all 
the  information  he  cared  them  to  have.  They  did 
not  venture  even  to  shove  their  own  boat  clear  until 
he  should  set  the  example. 

Suddenly  he  turned  to  Jethro. 

"  My  son  met  his  friend  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake 
to-day?" 

"Yes,  Black  Partridge." 

"And  you  two  are  on  your  way  to  Fort  Dearborn?" 

"You  know  Auric  and  I  visit  each  other;  it  is  his 
turn  to  come  to  my  home;  when  one  of  us  sets  out, 
we  always  meet  somewhere  along  the  trail,  generally 
where  we  did  to-day." 

"How  long  does  my  son  mean  to  stay  at  Fort  Dear- 
bom?"  asked  the  chieftain  of  Auric,  but  before  he 
could  answer,  Jethro  put  in: 


Black  Partridge  115 

"A  good  long  while;  many  weeks." 

"No;  he  will  not,"  said  the  Pottawatomie,  lowering 
his  voice  and  speaking  impressively. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  the  startled  Jethro. 

''A  few  weeks  from  now  there  will  be  no  Fort  Dear- 
born!" 

Both  lads  caught  their  breath.  Jethro  asked  in  a 
whisper: 

"Do  you  mean  that  the  Indians  will  destroy  it, 
Black  Partridge?" 

"I  have  spoken,"  was  his  reply  in  the  same  signifi- 
cant tone. 

The  boys  were  silent.  They  could  not  mistake  the 
meaning  of  the  chief,  and  their  hearts  were  as  lead. 
His  next  words  were  startlingly  depressing: 

"My  sons  must  go  back  to  Fort  Wayne." 

"Why  should  we  do  that,  Black  Partridge?"  asked 
Auric  in  great  disappointment. 

"They  will  not  live  if  they  go  to  Fort  Dearborn; 
the  hearts  of  the  Indians  are  bad;  Captain  Heald  is 
not  wise." 

"But  they  will  need  our  help,"  said  Jethro;  "it 
would  be  wrong  for  me  to  stay  away,  when  Mr.  Kinzie 
and  his  family  are  in  danger." 

The  chief  did  not  reply  for  a  moment.  Then  he 
gravely  said: 

"Let  my  sons  enter  their  canoe  and  make  haste  to 
Fort  Wayne:  tell  them  there  what  Black  Partridge 


Ii6  Black  Partridge 

says,  and  maybe  they  will  send  some  of  their  friends 
to  us." 

They  dared  not  disobey  the  chieftain,  whose  will 
at  times  was  imperious.  With  heavy  hearts  they 
pushed  the  boat  clear  of  the  shore,  and  Jethro  took 
up  the  paddle. 

"Good-by,"  he  called  as  he  dipped  the  blade,  and 
the  craft  began  moving  slowly  to  the  south.  Black 
Partridge  made  no  reply,  and  the  last  sight  of  him  in 
the  gloom  showed  him  standing  in  the  same  spot,  as 
if  he  were  in  a  troubled  frame  of  mind.  Jethro  con- 
tinued using  the  paddle,  until  they  had  passed  well 
beyond  sight  of  the  keen  vision  of  the  Pottawatomie. 
Then  he  stopped  his  work  and  said  in  a  low,  almost 
tremulous  voice: 

"Auric,  I  don't  like  this  at  all." 

"Neither  do  I,  but  what  can  we  do?  Black  Par- 
tridge has  shown  himself  the  best  of  friends,  and  he 
will  be  angry  if  we  disobey  him." 

"What  right  has  he  to  interfere  when  no  one  else  has 
objected?  Mr.  Kinzie  gave  me  permission  to  meet 
you  and  he  expects  me  to  bring  you  back;  your  father 
was  willing  you  should  come,  and,  even  if  the  Pot- 
tawatomie is  a  big  chief,  he  is  not  our  master." 

"  But  father  did  not  know  as  much  about  this  busi- 
ness as  he;  if  he  did  he  never  would  have  let  me  come; 
he  wasn't  willing  in  the  first  place." 

"Mr.  Kinzie  understands  everything." 


Black  Partridge  117 

"You  can't  be  sure  of  that,  but,  all  the  same,  it  is 
cowardly  for  us  to  stay  away  from  Fort  Dearborn, 
when  they  will  need  every  man  they  can  get." 

"Well,  what  do  you  say?  It's  Wayne  or  Dearborn; 
we  must  make  up  our  minds." 

Auric  hesitated  and  looked  back  in  the  gloom. 

"I  wonder  if  there's  any  way  we  can  get  there  with- 
out Black  Partridge  finding  it  out,  while  we  are  on 
the  road." 

"I  can  paddle  so  far  out  on  the  lake  that  he  won't 
see  us,  or  we  can  land  and  go  afoot." 

"I  don't  like  either  way;  fact  is,  we  can't  tell  what 
is  the  best  to  do." 

"He  spoke  of  our  getting  help  from  Fort  Wayne; 
perhaps  he  wants  us  to  do  that." 

"If  it  wasn't  so  far  off  we  might,  though  it  doesn't 
seem  to  me  that  if  the  whole  garrison  went  to  Dear- 
bom  they  could  be  of  much  assistance,  if  the  fort  is  to 
be  given  up.  Before  they  can  travel  the  distance 
it  would  be  too  late." 

"If  Black  Partridge  thought  anything  of  the  kind 
could  be  done,  why  didn't  he  make  the  trip  himself? 
He  can  travel  faster  than  we,  and  every  hour  counts." 

The  rebellious  mood  of  the  boys  was  increasing. 
Jethro  kept  dallying  with  his  paddle,  but  took  care 
not  to  propel  the  canoe  any  farther  to  the  southward. 
All  he  wanted  was  an  encouraging  word  from  his 
companion. 


ii8  Black  Partridge 

"If  we  start  inland  we  shall  be  likely  to  run  into 
those  Winnebagoes,"  suggested  Auric,  who  was  of 
different  minds  with  the  passing  minutes. 

"Don't  let  us  do  it  then;  I'll  make  the  circuit  out  on 
the  lake  and  keep  ofif  shore  till  there's  no  danger  of 
meeting  him:  what  do  you  say?" 

"I  can't  feel  right  in  turning  back,  and  I  shrink 
from  making  the  chief  angry;  I  would  offer  a  different 
plan." 

"What  is  that?" 

"Paddle  to  where  we  left  him  and  urge  him  to  let 
us  go  on;  we  didn't  say  half  what  we  ought  to  have 
said,  when  he  objected." 

"Suppose  he  forbids  us  again?" 

"Then  we'll  decide  for  ourselves." 

"Very  well." 

With  one  sweep  of  the  paddle,  Jethro  circled  the 
canoe  around  so  as  to  head  the  other  way,  and  it 
took  but  a  minute  or  two  to  reach  the  spot  where 
they  had  parted  from  the  Pottawatomie.  But  he 
was  gone.  His  canoe  being  also  absent  told  the 
story. 

"We'll  follow  so  slowly  that  we  won't  overtake 
him,"  suggested  Jethro,  resuming  their  progress  at 
a  more  moderate  pace. 

"Hark!  I  hear  some  one." 

He  who  was  paddling  the  approaching  canoe  did 
so  with  such  careless  vigor  that  he  was  plainly  heard. 


Black  Partridge  119 

Jethro  checked  his  boat,  and  a  minute  or  two  later 
Black  Partridge  emerged  from  the  obscurity.  The 
instant  he  recognized  them  he  said: 

"My  sons  shall  go  with  me  to  Fort  Dearborn." 
The  three  set  out,  and  pressed  on  with  such  per- 
severance that  on  the  morrow  all  arrived  safely  at 
the  imperilled  fort. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   CRISIS 

The  pleasantry  is  sometimes  heard  in  Chicago  that 
the  first  white  man  who  settled  on  the  site  of  that 
city  was  a  negro.  He  was  Pointe  De  Sable,  a  fugitive 
San  Domingo  slave,  who,  away  back  in  1779,  built 
a  cabin  of  square  logs  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago, 
and  spent  several  years  in  trapping.  He  was  bought 
out  or  "jumped"  by  Le  Mai,  a  Frenchman,  who  dis- 
posed of  his  property  in  1804  to  John  H.  Kinzie.  A 
tract  six  miles  square  was  ceded  by  the  Indians  to  our 
government,  and  was  claimed  by  both  the  English 
and  French.  On  this  tract  was  built  Fort  Dearborn, 
thus  named  in  honor  of  General  Henry  Dearborn  of 
New  Hampshire,  who  distinguished  himself  by  a 
daring  charge  at  Monmouth,  in  1778,  and  in  1813 
captured  Yorktown  and  Fort  George  in  Canada. 
Fort  Dearborn  was  erected  in  1804. 

A  weedy  streamlet  flowed  eastward  past  the  fort, 
turning  sharply  to  the  right,  and  made  its  weak  way 
by  a  shallow,  fordable  ripple  over  a  long  sand  bar 
into  the  lake  a  half  mile  to  the  southward.  On  the 
river  bank  stood  the  United  States  agency  warehouse. 


The  Crisis  I2i 

Across  the  river,  a  little  to  the  eastward,  was  the  old 
Kinzie  home.  A  canoe  was  moored  to  the  bank 
opposite  the  house.  When  one  wished  to  visit  the 
fort  he  paddled  across;  when  he  desired  to  go  the 
other  way  he  hallooed  for  the  boat. 

Next  to  the  Kinzie  house  was  the  Duillemette  cabin, 
and  still  farther  that  of  John  Bums.  Opposite  the 
latter  crude  structure  a  swampy  branch  entered  the 
river  from  the  south,  and  on  the  sides  of  this  branch 
was  a  group  of  Indian  wigwams.  All  on  the  northern 
shore  of  the  river  was  woods,  except  a  few  garden 
patches.  The  forks  of  the  stream  were  visible  a  mile 
to  the  westward,  but  the  intervening  trees  prevented 
the  tracing  of  the  branches. 

Fort  Dearborn  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  had  a 
garrison  of  fifty-three  soldiers,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Nathan  Heald,  with  several  famiUes. 
Lieutenant  Helm  was  a  brave  officer,  who  did  not 
agree  with  many  of  his  captain's  views,  but  loyally 
supported  him.  A  scalping  party  of  Winnebagoes 
raided  the  little  settlement  near  Chicago  in  April  and 
killed  several  persons,  but  nothing  of  moment  took 
place  during  the  following  three  months.  Hundreds 
of  Indians  were  gathered  about  the  fort,  and  there 
was  continual  passing  in  and  out  and  to  and  fro. 
Few  of  the  whites  failed  to  read  the  sinister  signs  in 
the  conduct  and  demeanor  of  the  redskins.  Some  of 
the  warriors  dropped  a  threat  now  and  then,  and  the 


122  Black  Partridge 

squaws  who  visited  the  dififerent  homes  were  often 
impudent.  In  more  than  one  instance  they  stole 
articles  before  the  eyes  of  the  owners,  and  when  com- 
pelled to  restore  them  sullenly  replied  that  they  would 
soon  own  everything  in  the  houses. 

It  has  been  said  that  a  friendly  Pottawatomie  runner 
arrived  at  the  fort  on  August  7  with  a  letter  from 
General  Hull  at  Detroit  to  Captain  Nathan  Heald, 
the  commandant.  When  the  latter  opened  and  read 
the  despatch  he  found  it  contained  an  official  notice 
of  the  declaration  of  war  between  England  and  the 
United  States,  the  news  of  the  capture  of  Mackinaw, 
and  an  order  to  the  captain  to  evacuate  the  fort,  which 
was  too  far  advanced  on  the  frontier  to  be  held  against 
the  attack  that  was  certain  soon  to  be  made  upon  it. 
He  was  also  directed  to  distribute  the  United  States 
property  among  the  Indians  gathered  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

The  letter  was  handed  to  Captain  Heald  in  his  own 
quarters.  Before  reading  it  he  invited  the  messenger 
to  be  seated;  but  he  declined,  and  remained  standing 
while  the  officer  was  examining  the  despatch.  When 
it  was  completed  the  captain  looked  up  and  asked; 

"Do  you  know  what  this  letter  says?" 

The  Pottawatomie,  who  had  a  fair  knowledge  of 
English,  nodded. 

"What  is  it?" 

"Big  war  between  EngHsh  and  Americans;  Father 


The  Crisis  123 

at  Detroit  tell  son  here  go  way  from  fort;  knowed  big 
war  before,"  replied  the  Indian,  with  a  shadowy 
grin. 

Captain  Heald  sent  for  Mr.  Kinzie  and  Lieutenant 
Helm.  No  one  understood  Indian  nature  as  well  as 
the  trader,  and  the  commandant  wished  to  consult 
with  him.  Being  famiHar  with  most  of  the  Indian 
dialects  spoken  by  the  visiting  tribes,  his  help  was 
also  valuable  in  a  consultation  of  the  kind  the  oflficer 
had  in  view. 

When  the  three  white  men  and  single  Indian  were 
gathered  in  the  small  room  of  the  fort  which  was 
headquarters,  the  captain  read  the  letter  aloud. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it,  Kinzie?" 

"I  do  not  fully  understand  your  question." 

"I  refer  to  the  wisdom  of  our  abandoning  the  fort, 
as  General  Hull  orders  me  to  do." 

Instead  of  replying  directly,  the  trader  passed  the 
question  to  the  Pottawatomie,  speaking  in  his  native 
tongue  : 

"  Do  you  think  it  wise  for  all  these  people  to  march 
out  of  the  fort  and  go  away?" 

"It  will  not  do." 

"Why  not?" 

"There  are  hundreds  of  Indians  around  the  post, 
waiting  for  the  soldiers  and  white  folks  to  leave;  then 
they  will  break  in  and  plunder." 

"We  shall  care  nothing  for  that,  because  we  expect 


124  Black  Partridge 

them  to  do  it  when  we  give  up  the  place,  and  the 
property  is  to  be  turned  over  to  them." 

"You  will  try  to  carry  away  much  goods  and  food 
and  supplies  in  the  wagons  and  on  the  back  of  the 
horses;  the  Indians  will  take  all  that  from  you,  for 
when  you  get  out  on  the  open  plain  you  will  not  be 
able  to  defend  yourselves;  then  they  will  kill  every 
one  of  you!" 

"What  is  your  counsel?" 

"That  the  soldiers  stay  in  the  fort;  they  have  cannon 
and  guns  and  plenty  of  powder;  they  can  keep  ofif 
twice  as  many  Indians  as  Major  Gladwyn  did  at 
Detroit,  when  Pontiac  tried  to  drive  him  out." 

"Your  words  are  wise;   I  think  as  you  do." 

Kinzie  now  turned  to  the  waiting  officers  and 
summed  up  the  views  of  the  Pottawatomie. 

"No  one  is  better  quahfied  to  speak  than  he;  what 
he  says  about  his  countrymen  is  true,  and  I  say  to 
you,  as  I  said  to  him,  that  I  think  as  he  does." 

"What  is  your  view,  Mr.  Helm?"  asked  the  captain, 
turning  to  the  younger  officer,  who,  like  the  other 
visitor,  had  sat  down  on  one  of  the  half-dozen  stools 
in  the  place,  though  the  Pottawatomie  remained 
standing  with  his  keen  black  eyes  fixed  upon  the  faces 
of  the  others.  His  knowledge  of  English  enabled 
him  to  keep  the  run  of  the  conversation  in  which  no 
one  was  more  interested  than  he. 

Now,  Lieutenant  Helm  fully  understood  his  superior 


The  Crisis  125 

ofi&cer.  There  had  been  mutterings  among  the  men, 
and  much  discontent  with  the  course  of  Captain  Heald, 
who  was  a  stickler  for  disciphne  and  the  obedience 
of  orders,  though  he  failed  to  drill  his  soldiers  as 
thoroughly  as  prudence  called  for.  Helm  knew  that 
the  captain  was  disposed  to  do  as  directed  by  General 
Hull,  and  it  would  be  the  hardest  kind  of  work  to 
dissuade  him.  The  stress  was  such  that  the  junior 
spoke  with  unusual  directness. 

'T  can  see  no  room  for  a  moment's  doubt,  sir." 

"Explain  yourself." 

"When  Mr.  Kinzie  and  a  friendly  Indian,  of  such 
intelligence  as  this  one  clearly  is,  agree  upon  a  ques- 
tion of  policy,  it  ought  to  be  final.  I  refer,  of  course, 
to  our  relations  with  the  Indians.-  Besides  that,  you 
have  the  highest  authority  for  declining  to  follow 
the  orders  of  General  Hull." 

"To  what  authority  do  you  refer?" 

"  Ofiicial  notices  have  been  sent  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment, forbidding  the  surrender  of  any  post  to  the 
enemy  so  long  as  it  is  capable  of  defence." 

This  was  a  home  thrust,  and  it  was  clear  that  the 
captain  felt  it.  He  crossed  his  legs,  swinging  one  foot 
to  and  fro,  hummed  softly,  glanced  from  one  face  to 
the  other,  and  then  up  at  the  square  logs  which  formed 
the  ceiling.  He  compressed  his  lips,  frowned  as  if 
puzzled,  then  unfolded  and  read  the  despatch  again, 
as  if  he  expected  to  find  something  there  that  had 


126  Black  Partridge 

escaped  him  until  that  moment.  Deliberately  refold- 
ing it,  he  said  in  his  low,  decisive  voice: 

"  General  Hull  is  my  immediate  superior  officer." 

"Does  not  the  Secretary  of  War  rank  hun?"  asked 
Lieutenant  Helm. 

"Yes,  but  in  the  present  circumstances  I  must 
obey  General  Hull." 

"That  being  your  decision,  sir,  may  I  urge  that  it 
be  done  at  once?" 

The  question  was  asked  by  Kinzie,  who  had  been 
prepared  for  the  words  of  the  officer. 

Before  Captain  Heald  could  reply  the  trader  asked 
the  opinion  of  the  Pottawatomie,  who  agreed  with 
him  emphatically. 

"Is  there  special  need  of  haste?"  inquired  the 
captain. 

"There  is  the  utmost  need;  your  intention,  I  sup- 
pose, is  to  march  the  garrison  across  the  country  to 
Fort  Wayne?" 

"That  is  the  most  desirable  course;  it  is  hardly  two 
hundred  miles." 

"The  danger  would  be  imminent  if  it  were  only  one 
tenth  as  great;  by  abandoning  the  post  at  once  we 
shall  gain  a  fair  start.  The  Indians  will  take  two  or 
three  days  to  plunder  the  fort  and  our  dwellings, 
during  which  we  can  be  making  all  haste  southward 
along  the  head  of  the  lake  and  across  the  country. 
If  we  delay  and  dilly-dally  we  shall  become  involved 


The  Crisis  127 

in  trouble  with  them,  and  the  result  can  only  be  irre- 
trievable disaster  to  us  and  our  famihes." 

"The  order  from  General  Hull  requires  me  to 
distribute  all  the  United  States  property  among  the 
Indians  at  the  post.  It  seems  to  me  that  by  doing 
that  we  shall  gain  their  good-will,  especially  if  we 
use  judgment." 

The  Pottawatomie  caught  the  meaning  of  this 
remark.  He  uttered  an  exclamation,  and,  walking 
abruptly  to  the  window,  looked  out  on  the  parade 
ground.  He  saw  the  American  banner  drooping 
languidly  in  the  hot  sun  on  the  flagstaff,  the  paHsades 
and  the  sentinels  at  their  posts,  while  warriors  were 
straggling  in  and  out  of  the  open  gate  as  if  no  shadow 
of  danger  brooded  over  the  fort,  its  garrison,  and  the 
women  and  children. 

The  three  men  smiled  at  one  another,  as  if  they  did 
not  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Winnebago's  action. 
Kinzie,  however,  knew. 

"When  he  shows  his  displeasure  in  that  manner, 
and  you  have  the  order  of  the  War  Department  that 
no  fort  shall  be  surrendered  without  battle  having  been 
given,  permit  me  to  say,  captain,  that  your  hesitation 
is  without  warrant." 

Captain  Heald's  face  flushed,  for  he  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  being  addressed  in  this  manner.  The 
trader  did  so  because  the  circumstances  warranted  it. 

"The  question  is  a  grave  one,"  said  the  officer, 


128  Black  Partridge  ^ 

quietly;  "the  abandonment  of  the  fort  is  no  slight 
matter.  I  shall  not  decide  until  I  have  considered  it 
further.  I  must  say,  however,  that  the  Indians  need 
not  necessarily  think  we  have  reached  the  decision 
through  fear  of  them." 

"How  shall  we  prevent  it,  sir?"  asked  Lieutenant 
Helm. 

"It  can  be  shown  that  it  is  against  our  wishes,  but 
in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  Great  Father  at 
Detroit,  who  wishes  us  to  join  him." 

The  Pottawatomie  was  still  standing  at  the  small 
window,  with  his  back  toward  the  group,  but  his  face 
was  turned  sideways,  in  order  to  catch  every  word. 
Kinzie  saw  the  profile  against  the  sunlight  beyond, 
and  noted  the  scornful  expression.  The  redskin 
understood  the  words  of  the  superior  officer  and 
disdained  to  make  comment. 

Lieutenant  Helm  managed  to  hide  his  disgust. 
He  knew  that  further  protest  was  idle  and  he  deter- 
mined to  make  none.  It  was  clear  that  Captain 
Heald  had  decided  not  only  to  obey  the  orders  of 
General  Hull,  but  he  would  commit  the  fatal  mistake 
of  waiting  several  days  before  doing  so.  This  would 
give  full  time  for  the  Indians  to  consider  every  phase 
of  the  business  and  their  discontent  would  grow. 

"Am  I  excused,  sir?"  asked  Helm, 

The  captain  nodded,  the  junior  saluted  and  with- 
drew. 


The  Crisis  129 

"I  don't  see  that  there  is  any  call  for  me  to  remain, 
captain,"  said  Kinzie,  "as  I  gather  from  what  you 
have  said  that  you  will  surrender  the  fort  to  the 
Indians?" 

"I  have  not  fully  decided,  but  I  do  not  see  my  way 
to  refuse." 

"I  have  many  preparations  to  make,  for  I  must 
look  after  the  safety  of  my  own  family,  but  I  am  happy 
to  serve  you  at  all  times." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Kinzie;  I  know  I  can  depend 
on  you;  I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  appreciate  your  ser- 
vices, which  are  above  those  any  one  else  can  give." 

The  trader  now  saluted  in  turn,  and,  passing  out 
of  the  building,  strode  thoughtfully  across  the  parade 
ground,  out  of  the  gate,  and  down  the  slope  to  the 
edge  of  the  stream,  where  he  had  left  his  canoe  when 
summoned  by  the  commanding  officer.  He  paddled 
hurriedly  across  and  to  his  own  home,  where  his  wife, 
little  boy  and  girl  awaited  his  coming. 

Captain  Heald  was  left  alone  with  the  dusky  mes- 
senger. The  latter  remained  standing  in  the  attitude 
described,  except  that  he  had  turned  his  face  and 
was  looking  out  of  the  window  again,  as  if  he  felt  no 
interest  in  anything  else.  The  captain  glanced  at 
him  and  asked  in  a  kindly  voice: 

"What  is  your  name?" 

"Red  Feather,"  was  the  gruff  reply,  without  move- 
ment of  head  or  body. 


130  Black  Partridge 

"You  have  done  well,  Red  Feather,  in  bringing 
this  letter  so  far  through  the  woods  from  Detroit; 
will  you  carry  one  back  to  the  Great  Father,  General 
Hull?" 

The  Pottawatomie  nodded. 

"It  will  take  me  only  a  few  minutes  to  write  it:  I 
wish  you  would  sit  down,  Red  Feather;  will  you 
smoke?" 

"No  smoke  —  me  stand,"  replied  the  warrior,  who 
resumed  his  former  pose. 

Captain  Heald  raised  the  lid  of  his  small,  wooden 
desk  and  took  out  several  sheets  of  old-fashioned  blue 
foolscap.  Upon  one  of  these  he  wrote  a  few  lines  in 
ink,  folded  it  over  and  sealed  it  with  sealing  wax. 
Envelopes  were  comparatively  unknown  in  those 
days,  and  the  last  side  of  each  sheet  was  unruled, 
the  better  to  serve  for  the  address.  When  this  had 
been  written,  he  sprinkled  some  black  sand  from  a 
sort  of  pepper  box,  shook  the  missive  so  as  to  release 
the  particles  that  did  not  adhere  to  the  damp  ink,  and 
they  were  dropped  back  into  the  box.  Then  he  drew 
from  his  pocket  several  American  gold  coins,  which 
he  handed  to  the  Indian,  as  he  came  forward. 

"I  shall  be  greatly  obliged  to  you.  Red  Feather,  if 
you  will  deliver  this  letter  to  General  Hull  at  Detroit. 
It  will  take  you  four  or  five  days  to  make  the  journey, 
but  there  is  no  special  haste;  I  merely  tell  him  that 
his  despatches  have  been  placed  in  my  hands  by 


The  Crisis  131 

the  faithful  Red  Feather  and  his  orders  will  be 
obeyed." 

The  face  of  the  messenger  was  as  expressionless  as 
a  piece  of  wood,  and  he  did  not  speak.  Taking  the 
letter,  he  shoved  it  into  a  receptacle  within  his  hunt- 
ing shirt,  which  seemed  to  have  been  fashioned  for 
some  such  use,  picked  up  his  rifle  from  where  he  had 
leaned  it  in  the  comer,  and  strode  out  of  the  little 
building.  Captain  Heald  with  a  smile  called  "Good- 
by"  to  him,  but  Red  Feather  did  not  seem  to  hear 
him.  The  officer  rose  from  his  chair,  and  passed  to 
the  window  where  the  Pottawatomie  had  stood  for 
several  minutes,  and  looked  out.  He  smiled  again 
when  he  saw  the  stalwart  figure  stalking  across  the 
parade  ground  and  out  of  the  gate.  On  the  way  he 
met  several  of  his  countrymen,  and  more  than  one 
spoke  to  him.  From  his  manner  he  was  as  unwilling 
to  address  them  as  the  commandant,  for  he  did  not 
change  his  stride  and  speedily  passed  from  sight. 

"They  are  a  strange  people,"  mused  Captain 
Heald,  "some  of  them  are  devils  themselves;  but  that 
faithful  fellow  will  push  straight  on  around  the  lake  and 
across  the  country,  hardly  pausing  to  eat  or  sleep,  till 
he  places  my  letter  in  the  hands  of  General  Hull.  He 
won't  stop  for  heat  or  cold  or  storm  or  anything  else." 

Let  us  see  whether  he  did. 

Red  Feather  kept  on,  apparently  with  the  grim 
resolve  that  Captain  Heald  supposed  was  in  his  heart. 


132  Black  Partridge 

He  did  not  look  to  the  right  or  left,  but  only  in  front. 
He  acted  as  if  following  a  well-marked  trail,  so  familiar 
to  him  that  his  speed  would  not  slacken  when  night 
shut  in.  Not  until  he  was  well  clear  of  his  people  and 
far  in  the  woods  did  Red  Feather  stop.  Then  he 
paused  as  abruptly  as  if  he  had  caught  a  signal  from 
his  chieftain. 

It  was  on  the  edge  of  a  sluggish  streamlet,  across 
which  he  could  leap  with  only  half  an  effort.  He  did 
not  do  so,  but  again  leaned  his  gun  against  a  support, 
which  in  this  instance  was  a  small  hickory  sapling. 
Then  he  drew  the  blue  paper  from  his  pocket,  and 
held  it  up  for  a  few  seconds,  as  if  to  make  sure  there 
was  no  mistake  as  to  its  identity.  Unconsciously 
the  expression  on  his  coppery  countenance  became 
more  contemptuous. 

And  then  the  Pottawatomie  slowly  and  deliberately 
tore  the  letter  into  fine  strips!  He  looked  upon  the 
gold  which  he  had  accepted  from  Captain  Heald  as 
payment  for  bringing  him  the  despatch  from  General 
Hull.  No  sum  could  induce  him  to  take  the  answer 
to  the  general. 

The  action  and  manner  of  Red  Feather  said  as 
clearly  as  so  many  words: 

"If  Captain  Heald  is  a  fool  there  is  no  need  of  my 
tramping  all  the  way  to  Detroit  to  tell  the  same  to 
General  Hull ;  if  he  is  acquainted  with  Captain  Heald, 
he  learned  it  long  ago." 


The  Crisis  133 

When  the  messenger  had  reduced  the  carefully 
sealed  letter  to  fragments  he  held  them  in  one  hand, 
as  if  to  enjoy  the  sight,  and  then  tossed  the  pieces 
into  the  streamlet  which  flowed  at  his  feet.  His  next 
act  was  characteristic.  He  faced  squarely  about  and 
walked  back  over  his  own  trail  toward  Fort  Dearborn. 
Translating  again  the  meaning  of  his  action  it  would 
be: 

''Soon  there  will  be  much  plunder  to  be  divided 
among  the  people;  Red  Feather  must  be  on  the  spot 
that  he  may  receive  his  share." 


CHAPTER  XII 

COMPANIONS  IN  PERIL 

Such  was  the  critical  situation  at  Fort  Dearborn, 
when  Auric  Kingdon  and  Jethro  Judd,  under  the 
escort  of  Black  Partridge,  the  leading  Pottawatomie 
chief,  arrived  at  the  place. 

The  Kinzie  home  was  the  largest  and  most  imposing 
dwelUng  outside  the  fort.  It  had  been  enlarged  and 
made  comfortable  by  the  trader,  who  prospered  dur- 
ing his  dealings  with  the  Indians,  many  of  whom 
brought  their  peltries  from  long  distances  to  exchange 
them  for  supplies  with  the  one  man  who  never  cheated 
them,  and  who,  it  may  be  added,  was  rarely  or  never 
cheated  by  them.  He  knew  their  ways,  spoke  several 
of  their  dialects,  and  could  be  firm  as  well  as  kind. 
Such  men,  if  given  opportunity,  never  fail  to  win  the 
respect  and  friendship  of  the  Indians,  who  naturally 
distrust  the  race  that  has  swindled  them  from  the  be- 
ginning. 

Along  the  front  of  the  house  extended  a  broad, 

covered  porch,  enclosed  by  a  raiUng,  while  the  roomy 

yard  in  front,  which  reached  almost  to  the  water's 

edge,  contained  a  number  of  shade  trees  that  gave 

134 


Companions  in  Peril  135 

the  home  a  cool,  grateful  appearance  during  these 
sultry  days,  when  men  and  animals  panted  from  the 
heat.  Kinzie  was  as  popular  with  his  own  race  as 
with  the  Indians,  and  when  matters  were  quiet  his 
home  was  a  favorite  resort  for  Captain  Heald  and  the 
officers  of  the  garrison,  in  addition  to  the  surgeon  and 
civilian  neighbors. 

Black  Partridge  left  his  young  friends  before  they 
crossed  the  stream,  and  the  boys  by  themselves  entered 
the  home  where  they  were  received  with  the  warmest  wel- 
come. Mrs.  Kinzie,  matronly  sweet  and  genial,  kissed 
each  lad,  who  looked  up  to  her  as  affectionately  as  if 
she  were  their  own  mother,  while  the  boys  and  girls, 
four  in  number,  and  all  younger  than  Auric  and  Jethro, 
climbed  over  them  and  shouted  and  danced  with 
delight.  The  head  of  the  house  was  busy  with  his 
clerk  in  the  store,  but  was  expected  soon,  for  the  day 
was  drawing  to  a  close.  Mrs.  Kinzie  pressed  the 
youths  to  eat,  and,  though  they  could  have  done  so 
with  right  good  appetite,  they  preferred  waiting  till  the 
hour  for  the  regular  evening  meal,  when  all  would 
be  together  around  the  board,  at  which  it  generally 
happened  some  outside  friend  was  present. 

The  boys  froUcked  with  the  children,  told  Mrs.  Kinzie 
of  their  experience  on  the  way  thither,  and  anxiously 
inquired  as  to  the  situation  and  outlook.  She  knew 
almost  as  much  as  her  husband,  but  thought  it  best 
to  wait  for  him  to  talk  with  the  lads,  since  he  was 


136  Black  Partridge 

likely  to  bring  additional  news.  Every  passing  hour 
gave  some  new  phase  to  a  situation  that  could  not 
have  been  more  delicate  and  threatening. 

You  would  have  thought,  could  you  have  seen  the 
party  gathered  around  the  spacious  table,  father, 
mother,  four  children,  and  the  two  sturdy  youths, 
all  laughing,  chatting,  and  exchanging  jests,  that  they 
were  in  the  most  peaceful  and  happy  community  in 
the  world.  And  yet  none  except  the  smaller  ones 
failed  to  know  and  to  feel  the  gathering  gloom,  which 
was  liable  to  emit  its  deadly  bolt  at  any  moment. 
Not  until  the  children  had  been  sent  to  their  beds, 
and  the  trader  had  lit  his  long- stemmed  pipe,  was  the 
momentous  subject  brought  forward. 

The  night  was  so  warm  and  the  mosquitoes  so 
troublesome  that  no  candles  or  lamps  were  Ut,  and 
the  company  gathered  in  their  chairs  on  the  front 
porch.  When  the  moon  rose  they  could  look  across 
the  stream,  and  up  the  gentle  slope  to  the  fort,  where 
a  few  lights  twinkled,  and  a  faint  view  of  the  flagstaff, 
with  its  Hmp  and  motionless  bunting,  was  seen  Hke 
a  thin  black  line  drawn  against  the  sky  beyond.  Still 
nearer,  dark  figures  flitted  to  and  fro,  like  shadows 
in  the  obscurity.  Sometimes  only  two  or  three  were 
visible,  and  then  a  score  of  phantom-like  shapes 
glided  across  the  field  of  vision.  These  were  Indians, 
and  who  should  guess  the  dark  schemes  and  evil 
plans  that  were  shaping  in  their  brains  ? 


Companions  in  Peril  137 

"Boys,"  said  the  trader,  who  had  Auric  on  his 
right  and  Jethro  on  his  left,  as  he  took  the  pipe  from 
between  his  hps,  "I  suppose  you  think  wife  and  I  are 
glad  to  see  you?" 

"That's  a  strange  thing  to  say,  Mr.  Kinzie,"  replied 
Jethro;  "you  know  you  and  mother  are  half  tickled 
to  death  because  we  are  here." 

"It  is  just  the  other  way,  my  boys;  I  am  downright 
sorry,  and  would  give  a  good  deal  if  you  were  both  at 
Fort  Wayne  at  this  moment." 

Jethro  knew  what  these  words  meant.  In  fact,  he 
had  expected  something  of  the  kind,  but  he  was  just 
a  trifle  resentful. 

"Black  Partridge  felt  as  you  did  at  first;  he  ordered 
us  to  turn  back  when  we  were  on  our  way  here,  but 
he  changed  his  mind,  and  said  we  should  come  with 
him.  He  seems  to  have  a  better  opinion  of  us  than 
you." 

"Hardly  that,"  calmly  replied  the  trader;  "if  there 
was  the  least  chance  of  your  being  of  any  earthly  use 
I  should  not  think  as  I  do,  but  there  isn't." 

"Suppose  Captain  Heald  had  fifty  or  a  hundred 
more  like  us?"  suggested  Auric. 

"But  he  hasn't  and  he  can't  have,  so  what's  the  use 
of  supposing  anything  of  the  kind?  Captam  Heald 
has  decided  to  evacuate  the  fort  and  distribute  the 
property  among  these  Indians,  who  know  the  whole 
truth  and  are  clamoring  for  the  plunder.     Besides, 


138  Black  Partridge 

other  warriors  are  continually  coming  in,  and  there 
are  enough  now  to  massacre  every  one  of  us,  including 
the  whole  garrison;  your  coming  has  simply  added 
two  more  probable  victims  to  the  slaughter." 

"I  feel  as  John  does,"  said  Mrs.  Kinzie,  gravely. 

"You  forget  how  we  should  feel,  if  we  were  not  with 
you  when  the  danger  comes,"  added  Jethro  in  a  chok- 
ing voice;  "I  should  never  forgive  myself  if  anything 
happened  to  you  or  the  children  while  we  were  at  a 
safe  distance;  mother,  I'm  ready  to  die  for  you." 

And  the  impulsive  lad  sprang  from  his  chair,  threw 
his  arms  around  the  neck  of  the  good  woman,  and 
sobbed  like  a  child. 

"There!  there!  my  dear  boy,"  she  replied,  fondling 
the  head,  and  speaking  in  a  voice  that  required  all 
her  self-control  to  prevent  breaking;  "you  must  not 
feel  that  way;  it  is  because  we  love  you  and  Auric  so 
much  that  we  are  distressed.  Where  do  you  suppose 
your  father  would  wish  you  to  be  at  this  time?" 

"Just  where  we  are!"  was  the  impetuous  reply, 
as  Jethro  mastered  his  grief,  and  raised  his  head  from 
her  shoulder;  "he  would  despise  me  as  much  as  I 
should  myself,  if  he  thought  I  was  such  a  coward  as  to 
run  away." 

"And  that's  just  the  way  my  father  would  feel," 
said  Auric,  laying  his  hand  on  the  knee  of  the  trader, 
who  had  resumed  the  thoughtful  smoking  of  his  pipe. 

"  Does  he  know  of  this  danger?" 


Companions  in  Peril  139 

"He  heard  it  before  I  left  home." 

"He  could  hardly  know  all;  but  it  is  too  late  now  to 
undo  what  has  been  done;  I  expect  Captain  Heald 
here  this  evening,  and  we  shall  learn  more  of  his  plans; 
I  am  sure  we  shall  find  some  place  where  both  of  you 
can  be  of  use." 

The  words  were  hardly  spoken  when  a  halloo  was 
heard  from  the  other  bank.  All  recognized  the  voice, 
and  saw  the  form  of  the  commandant  standing  on 
the  farther  side  of  the  stream. 

"I  will  bring  him  over,"  exclaimed  Auric,  spring- 
ing from  his  chair  and  hurrying  off  the  porch  and 
down  the  slope.  He  was  plainly  seen  as  he  paddled 
across  and  started  immediately  on  his  return  with 
the  captain,  who  came  up  on  the  porch  a  few  minutes 
later,  and  greeted  the  little  party.  After  a  few  con- 
ventional words,  Mr.  Kinzie  asked: 

"Well,  captain,  are  there  any  new  developments?" 

"Nothing,  except  the  Indians  seem  to  be  more  rest- 
less and  soured  than  ever." 

"That  is  to  be  expected;  you  have  fully  decided 
to  abandon  the  post  and  start  for  Fort  Wayne?" 

"Nothing  else  remains  for  me  to  do." 

"How  soon  do  you  propose  to  leave?" 

"As  soon  as  we  can  make  ready;  it  will  take  several 
days  to  make  our  arrangements;  I  shall  call  a  council 
of  the  Indians  and  explain  my  plans  to  them." 

"You   cannot  move  too  promptly,   captain;   their 


140  Black  Partridge 

temper  will  not  improve  with  the  delay.  I  am  sure 
you  recognize  the  importance  of  doing  two  things." 

"What  are  they?" 

"You  must  not  leave  any  firearms  or  ammunition 
for  them;  they  are  too  well  armed  as  it  is;  when  a  red- 
skin holds  a  gun  in  his  hand  his  first  impulse  is  to  do 
some  deviltry  with  it.  More  important  than  that  is 
the  destruction  of  all  the  whiskey  you  have;  you  know 
too  well  the  effects  of  drunkenness  among  them. 
One  drink  of  the  stuff  will  turn  a  friendly  warrior  into 
a  demon,  and  the  squaws,  if  anything,  are  ten  times 
worse  than  the  men." 

"Your  counsel  is  good;  I  have  discussed  the  ques- 
tion with  my  officers,  and  we  all  think  as  you  do." 

"And  the  destruction  of  the  alcohol  must  be  as  secret 
as  possible,  for  they  will  be  in  a  rage  when  they  find 
out  they  have  been  robbed  of  that  which  they  value 
above  everything  else  in  the  world." 

"All  you  say  shall  be  remembered;  may  I  ask, 
Mr.  Kinzie,  what  you  intend  to  do  with  your 
family?" 

"I  shall  place  Mrs.  Kinzie  and  the  children  in  a 
boat  and  send  them  around  the  head  of  the  lake  to 
St.  Joseph,  where  they  will  await  the  arrival  of  the 
soldiers." 

"You  will  have  an  escort  for  them?" 

"I  have  selected  two  Pottawatomies  who  can  be 
trusted;  they  will  act  as  protectors,  in  addition  to  the 


Companions  in  Peril  141 

boatmen;  I  am  hopeful  that  they  will  be  allowed  to 
pass  out  of  the  river  unmolested." 

"You  are  so  widely  and  favorably  known  that  I  am 
sure  you  have  little  to  fear;  you  speak  their  language 
and  understand  their  nature." 

"You  talk,  captain,  as  if  I  were  going  with  them." 

"You  are  a  civilian  and  have  nothing  to  do  with 
military  matters;  it  is  your  duty  to  look  after  your 
family." 

"That  cannot  be  gainsaid,  but  I  shall  stay  with  you 
all  the  same." 

"You  see,  captain,"  interposed  Mrs.  Kinzie  in  her 
soft  voice,  "we  shall  not  need  John  with  us,  for  we 
shall  be  just  as  safe  without  as  with  him;  but,  if  he 
stays  with  you,  he  may  be  able  to  restrain  the  Indians 
from  harming  the  others." 

"That  is  my  view,"  said  the  husband;  "wife  and  I 
have  decided  the  question." 

Auric  and  Jethro  were  listening  closely  to  every 
word.  The  former  feared  a  veto  by  the  captain,  and 
presumed  to  break  into  the  conversation  at  this  point. 

"It  must  be  as  the  captain  and  mother  have  just 
said;  the  family  in  the  boat  will  need  no  more  guard 
than  has  been  hired ;  for,  if  the  Indians  mean  to  attack, 
the  presence  of  two  or  three  more  will  not  prevent  it; 
you  will  need  every  gun  and  man;  Mr.  Kinzie  and 
Jethro  and  I  ought  to  be  of  some  help  to  you." 

The  shadow  in  the  porch  prevented  any  one  seeing 


142  Black  Partridge 

the  smile  which  for  a  moment  lit  up  the  face  of  the 
grim  soldier. 

"You  are  a  couple  of  plucky  youngsters,  but  I  can- 
not say  that  I  am  surprised;  with  Mr.  Kinzie's  per- 
mission, I  will  accept  your  services." 

"We  settled  that  with  him  some  time  ago,"  said 
Jethro,  promptly. 

"Then  it  is  settled  with  me,  though  I  must  say  I 
should  feel  better  if  both  of  you  were  at  Fort  Wayne, 
or  a  good  many  miles  from  here." 

The  captain  had  too  many  duties  pressing  upon 
him  to  prolong  his  call.  He  rose  from  his  seat,  courte- 
ously bade  all  good  night,  excepting  the  trader  him- 
self, who  passed  down  the  walk  with  him  to  paddle 
the  visitor  across  the  stream.  When  the  couple 
reached  the  other  side,  both  sat  still  for  a  few  minutes 
and  talked  in  low  tones. 

"  Captain,  would  it  not  be  wise  for  you  and  Lieuten- 
ant Helm  to  entrust  your  wives  with  the  guard  that 
will  take  charge  of  my  family?" 

"Nothing  would  suit  me  better,  but  neither  of  them 
will  consent  to  leave  us;  you  know  the  kind  of  wives 
they  are;  they  will  insist  upon  sharing  the  fate  of  their 
husbands,  even  if  they  knew  we  both  should  be  killed." 

"It  is  the  same  with  Mrs.  Kinzie;'  and  yet  this  case 
is  somewhat  different,  for  she  hopes,  as  do  I,  that  my 
presence  among  the  Indians  may  prove  of  some  good 
to  the  rest  of  you;  depend  upon  it,  I  shall  do  my  utmost, 


Companions  in  Peril  143 

but,  we  may  as  well  admit  to  each  other,  captain, 
that  the  chances  of  the  garrison  being  allowed  to  march 
to  Fort  Wayne  without  attack  is  hardly  one  in  ten 
thousand." 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  right,  Kinzie,"  replied  the 
commandant,  gloomily,  as  he  looked  off  in  the  moon- 
light toward  the  fort.  The  shadowy  figures  were 
moving  to  and  fro,  and  the  whole  assemblage  of  white 
as  well  as  red  men  was  seething  with  excitement. 
Momentous  events  were  at  hand. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A   WARNING   CALL 

Captain  Heald  carried  out  his  intention  of  hold- 
ing a  council  with  the  leading  Indians,  who  had 
gathered  around  Fort  Dearborn,  and  were  impatient 
for  the  division  of  the  property  among  them.  It  had 
been  known  for  several  days  that  the  garrison  intended 
to  march  out  of  the  post,  and  with  their  families  pass 
around  the  head  of  the  lake  and  across  the  country  to 
Fort  Wayne,  some  two  hundred  miles  distant.  How 
the  news  became  known  so  soon,  the  captain  would 
have  found  it  hard  to  explain,  for  he  and  his  brother 
officers  and  soldiers  carefully  kept  the  secret.  Per- 
haps Red  Feather  had  something  to  do  with  the  be- 
trayal, though  he  might  have  been  counted  on  to 
keep  his  Ups  sealed,  but  for  the  disgust  caused  by 
Captain  Heald's  refusal  to  follow  his  advice  and  that 
of  his  friends. 

It  looked  as  if  all  the  hundreds  of  Indians  around 
the  post  were  assembled  to  Usten  to  the  words  of  the 
captain,  who  never  essayed  a  more  deHcate  task.  It 
was  in  the  afternoon  and  the  weather  was  oppressively 
sultry.  On  the  plain  in  front  of  the  fort,  near  the 
144 


A  Warning  Call  145 

inviting  shadows  of  the  woods,  the  commandant 
faced  the  surly  multitude,  none  of  whom  sat  on  the 
ground,  while  he  addressed  them.  There  was  hardly 
a  warrior  present  whose  ugly  face  was  not  smeared 
with  different  colored  paint.  The  only  relief  the  com- 
mandant felt  when  he  looked  around  was  the  sight  of 
Black  Partridge,  standing  only  a  few  paces  distant  and 
gazing  with  an  expectant,  friendly  expression  in  his 
countenance.  If  he  had  had  any  paint  on  his  features, 
it  was  washed  ofif,  and  he  stood  clean  —  that  is  for  an 
Indian,  which,  after  all,  is  not  saying  much. 

The  pleasure  that  Captain  Heald  might  have  felt 
at  the  sight  of  this  friend  in  the  repellent  horde  was 
somewhat  dampened  by  sight  of  a  warrior  standing 
several  paces  behind  him,  occasionally  exchanging 
words  in  a  low  voice  with  a  villainous  buck  at  his 
elbow.  The  ofl&cer  recognized  the  former,  despite  the 
fact  that  his  face  had  been  painted  since  he  saw  him 
a  few  days  before.  He  was  Red  Feather,  the  mes- 
senger who  had  brought  the  order  from  General  Hull 
at  Detroit  for  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Dearborn.  The 
disquieting  fact  that  went  with  this  recognition  was 
the  appearance  of  the  Pottawatomie  at  Dearborn, 
when,  if  he  had  kept  his  promise,  he  would  have  been 
a  hundred  or  more  miles  to  the  eastward  on  his  way 
to  Detroit. 

Captain  Heald  could  think  of  only  one  explana- 
tion of   Red  Feather's  presence  at  this  time  in  the 


146  Black  Partridge 

scowling,  turbulent  group.  He  had  deliberately  turned 
traitor  and  was  waiting  for  his  chance  to  join  in  the 
looting  of  the  fort  and  the  massacre. 

But  the  commandant  had  httle  time  in  which  to 
give  thought  to  the  matter.  As  he  looked  around 
into  the  ugly  visages,  a  third  of  whom  were  squaws, 
he  saw  little  to  encourage  him.  In  that  moment 
he  must  have  recalled  the  advice  of  Red  Feather, 
Mr.  Kinzie,  and  his  own  ofi&cers,  and  realized  that  he 
had  made  a  grievous  mistake,  —  but  it  was  too  late 
now  to  retrieve  it. 

Addressing  the  multitude,  he  explained  that  General 
Hull  at  Detroit  had  sent  him  a  message  by  one  of 
their  best  warriors,  that  he  wished  the  garrison  to  go 
to  Fort  Wayne;  but,  in  doing  so,  the  kind  Father,  of 
whom  all  had  heard,  had  told  him  to  distribute,  as 
proof  of  his  good  will,  all  the  property  at  the  fort 
among  them.  It  would  give  the  commandant  pleas- 
ure to  turn  this  over  to  the  friends  he  saw  before  him. 
It  would  be  handed  to  the  leaders,  and  they  would 
divide  it  among  the  others,  as  was  just  and  right.  In 
return,  he  would  ask  for  an  escort  of  several  hundred 
warriors  to  Fort  Wayne.  He  took  pains  to  assure 
them  that  on  their  arrival  at  that  post  all  the  members 
of  the  escort  would  receive  a  liberal  reward  for  their 
services.  There  was  no  reason  why  there  should  be 
delay  in  the  division  of  the  property,  which  he  was 
now  prepared  to  make. 


A  Warning  Call  147 

The  soldiers,  as  instructed,  brought  forth  the  goods 
and  began  their  distribution.  There  was  a  large 
quantity  of  blankets,  broadcloth,  calicoes,  prints,  etc., 
worth  several  hundred  dollars.  A  wild  scramble 
would  have  immediately  followed,  that  would  have 
developed  into  rioting,  but  for  the  firmness  of  the 
chiefs.  Black  Partridge  and  several  others  rose  to 
the  occasion  and  compelled  something  in  the  nature 
of  order.  Leaving  them  to  themselves.  Captain  Heald 
passed  through  the  gate,  which  was  closed  behind  him, 
and,  thoughtful  and  much  disturbed  in  mind,  went 
to  his  quarters. 

The  most  important  work  remained  to  be  done: 
that  was  the  destruction  of  the  firearms  and  whiskey. 
That  night  all  the  liquors  were  thrown  into  the  river, 
including  the  ammunition,  except  twenty-five  rounds 
and  one  box  of  cartridges  to  a  man.  Then  the  spare 
muskets  and  gun-fixtures  were  broken  up  and  flung 
into  the  well  of  the  fort. 

Dearborn  had  such  a  large  stock  of  whiskey  on  hand 
that  when  the  barrels  were  staved  in  and  the  spirits 
poured  into  the  water,  the  pungent  fumes  could  be 
detected  a  long  way  off.  Guided  by  their  noses, 
several  warriors  located  the  stuff,  which  so  impreg- 
nated the  stream,  over  a  space  of  several  rods,  that 
it  resembled  the  beverage  which  a  toper  imbibes  when 
he  chooses  not  to  take  it  "straight."  They  drank 
deeply,  and  called  it  good  grog.     If  they  swallowed 


148  Black  Partridge 

more  water  than  that  to  which  they  were  accus- 
tomed, they  also  disposed  of  a  greater  quantity  of 
Uquor.  The  singular  result  was  seen  of  a  score  of 
warriors,  and  about  as  many  squaws,  staggering  to 
and  fro  in  a  maudUn  condition,  while  others  showed 
the  effects  of  their  indulgence.  Soon  there  was  a 
general  flocking  of  the  Indians  to  the  river,  but  the 
alcohol  had  become  so  much  diluted  by  this  time 
that  its  potency  weakened  and  soon  disappeared. 

The  secret  of  the  breaking  up  of  the  muskets  and 
their  tossing  into  the  well  was  easily  kept,  but  the  de- 
struction of  the  alcohol  was  not.  Those  who  got 
none  were  angered,  and  those  who  got  only  a  taste 
were  equally  angry  because  they  got  no  more.  The 
Indians  felt  that  they  had  been  outrageously  cheated, 
and,  far  from  being  satisfied  by  the  presents  of  cloth 
and  trinkets,  they  were  enraged  because  they  were 
deprived  of  that  which  they  valued  far  more.  It  was 
a  good  thing  that  the  whiskey  had  been  destroyed,  but 
a  bad  thing  that  it  became  known.  The  peril  which 
already  impended  over  the  garrison  and  the  civilians 
became  more  imminent  than  ever. 

Late  that  night,  Black  Partridge  presented  him- 
self at  the  gate  of  Fort  Dearborn.  He  was  so  well 
known  that  there  was  no  hesitation  in  admitting  him, 
for  Captain  Heald  had  given  orders  that  every  courtesy 
should  be  shown  the  Pottawatomie  chieftain.  He 
professed  to  be  a  friend  of  the  white  people,  and  thus 


A  Warning  Call  149 

far  had  conducted  himself  as  such.  He  was  the  most 
influential  sachem  among  all  the  Indians  present,  and 
the  importance  of  keeping  his  good-will  could  not  be 
overestimated.  When,  therefore,  he  asked  to  be 
conducted  to  the  commandant,  he  was  taken  at  once 
to  his  quarters.  Captain  Heald  at  the  time  was  in 
consultation  with  his  surgeon  and  Lieutenant  Helm. 
When  the  erect  chieftain  appeared  at  the  door,  which 
was  opened  by  the  orderly,  he  received  a  warm  wel- 
come. 

Black  Partridge  stood  on  the  threshold  for  a  moment, 
and  looked  grimly  into  the  faces  of  the  Uttle  group. 
He  did  not  speak,  but  all  suspected  the  meaning  of 
the  haughty  expression  on  his  face. 

"Do  you  wish  to  see  me  alone,  Black  Partridge?" 
asked  the  commandant. 

As  you  know,  the  chieftain  possessed  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  English,  which,  as  before,  we  shall  take  the 
liberty  of  putting  in  shape.  The  two  had  no  trouble 
in  understanding  each  other,  but  the  sentences  of  the 
aboriginal  American  were  broken  and  disjointed. 

"Black  Partridge  would  speak  into  his  brother's 
ears." 

The  commandant  glanced  at  his  friends,  who  rose 
to  their  feet,  saluted  and  passed  out,  strolling  to  the 
quarters  of  Lieutenant  Helm,  there  to  continue  the 
discussion  in  which  they  were  engaged  when  checked 
by  the  Pottawatomie  leader. 


150  Black  Partridge 

All  the  men  had  been  smoking.  Although  the 
windows  were  open  on  the  oppressive  night,  the 
smoke  still  lingered,  refusing  to  dissolve  in  the  clearer 
air.  A  small  lamp  on  a  table  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  diffused  a  yellow  illumination.  Despite  the 
impurity  of  the  atmosphere,  Captain  Heald  discovered 
a  suggestive  fact  in  the  same  moment  that  his 
dusky  visitor  stepped  across  the  threshold:  it  was 
the  odor  of  alcohol,  which  Black  Partridge  brought 
with  him.  Sharing  the  weakness  of  his  race,  he  had 
been  in  the  scramble  for  the  wasted  whiskey,  and 
had  secured  enough,  even  in  its  diluted  state,  to  betray 
itself. 

But  the  sachem  was  sober.  His  had  been  the 
weakened  stuff,  which  added  to  his  thirst  instead  of 
satisfying  it.  Naturally  reticent,  its  effect  was  to 
make  him  glummer  than  usual.  It  was  clear  he  was 
in  no  amiable  mood. 

When  the  door  had  been  closed  behind  Black  Par- 
tridge, Captain  Heald  waved  his  hand  to  the  chair 
which  Lieutenant  Helm  had  vacated. 

"Let  my  brother  be  seated;  I  am  always  glad  to 
have  him  come  to  see  me." 

The  Pottawatomie  did  not  stir,  but  stood  like  a 
statue,  looking  fixedly  at  the  commandant.  His  left 
hand  clasped  the  barrel  of  his  rifle,  whose  stock  rested 
on  the  floor,  while  his  right  toyed  with  the  silver  medal, 
which,  as  you  remember,  he  was  excessively  proud  to 


Black  Partrido;e  and  Captain  Heald  Pat^r  150 


A  Warning  Call  151 

wear  over  his  breast,  supported  by  a  string  about  his 
neck.  He  stood  silent  so  long  that  the  officer  repeated 
his  invitation. 

Without  speaking,  he  walked  slowly  forward. 
While  doing  so,  he  deftly  slipped  the  thong  over  his 
head,  and  handed  his  medal  to  Captain  Heald. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  asked  the  astonished 
officer,  as  he  took  the  token. 

"I  give  it  to  my  brother." 

A  thrill  went  through  the  heart  of  the  commandant, 
for  he  understood  the  significance  of  the  act, 

"I  cannot  take  it.  Black  Partridge;  it  was  sent 
to  you  by  the  Great  Father  at  Washington,  because 
he  was  told  you  were  a  mighty  chief  and  the  friend  of 
the  white  men;  he  would  be  angry  with  me  were  he 
told  that  I  had  dared  to  accept  it  from  you;  take  it 
back  and  wear  it  on  your  breast  as  you  have  done 
for  years." 

The  chief  recoiled  a  step  and  shook  his  head. 

"The  friendship  between  Black  Partridge  and  the 
Americans  has  been  warm,  and,  as  my  brother  says, 
it  has  lasted  for  many  moons;  but  the  time  has  come 
when  I  can  no  longer  restrain  my  young  men  from 
shedding  blood.  I  cannot  wear  this  medal  as  a  friend, 
when  I  am  an  tnemy." 

The  chief  now  gravely  accepted  the  chair  that  had 
been  offered  him,  but  he  sat  as  erect  as  ever  and  did 
not  take  his  eyes  from  the  face  of  the  commandant. 


152  Black  Partridge 

who  could  not  wholly  hide  his  emotion.  It  was  a 
time  for  plain  words. 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  have  become  an  enemy  to 
the  Americans?  Are  you  going  to  fight  on  the  side 
of  the  English  in  this  war  that  has  come  upon  us?" 

"No,  no,  no,"  repUed  the  chieftain,  angrily;  "Black 
Partridge  will  never  fight  for  those  who  come  across 
the  great  water  to  kill  the  Americans." 

"If  you  are  an  enemy,  you  must  do  so;  if  you  do 
not,  then  you  are  our  friend." 

The  chieftain  now  lifted  quite  a  load  from  the  heart 
of  the  commandant,  by  explaining  the  meaning  of  his 
alarming  words.  He  must  appear  as  the  enemy  of 
the  Americans;  as  he  said,  his  young  men  had  passed 
beyond  his  control;  if  he  should  resist  them  openly, 
his  fife  would  not  be  worth  a  minute's  purchase;  per- 
haps he  could  do  nothing  to  help  the  Americans, 
but,  if  a  fair  opportunity  offered,  he  would  try  to 
remember  he  was  their  friend. 

While  this  peculiar  position  on  the  part  of  the  Pot- 
tawatomie leader  was  far  better  than  that  of  open 
enmity,  it  brought  Uttle  comfort  to  Captain  Heald. 
In  the  first  place  he  had  a  suspicion  of  the  honesty  of 
the  sachem.  He  was  sullen  and  resentful  over  the 
destruction  of  the  whiskey;  he  knew  it  was  done  by 
the  orders  of  the  commandant  and  he  knew  why 
it  was  done. 

If  Black   Partridge   had  decided  to  become  a  foe 


A  Warning  Call  153 

because  of  this  he  would  not  deny  himself  the  pleasure 
of  telling  the  captain  of  his  danger.  He  knew  the 
officer  was  in  great  distress  of  mind,  and,  Indian-hke, 
wished  to  add  to  that  distress.  It  certainly  cost  the 
chieftain  a  pang  thus  to  let  his  loved  medal  pass  from 
his  possession,  but  it  was  a  part  of  the  scheme  he  had 
formed,  whose  real  nature  must  be  left  for  the  im- 
mediate future  to  reveal. 

"I  will  keep  your  medal  for  you,  Black  Partridge, 
and  when  we  reach  Fort  Wayne,  or  before,  if  you  v/ish 
it,  I  will  give  it  back  to  you." 

"You  and  the  soldiers  will  never  reach  Fort  Wayne!" 
said  the  chieftain  with  impressive  solemnity. 

"Well,  then,  if  I  am  killed  —  and  it  looks  very 
much  that  way  —  you  will  find  it  on  my  body,  and 
when  you  do  that.  Black  Partridge,  you  will  think 
of  me  as  one  who  was  once  your  friend." 

Whether  the  chieftain  was  touched  by  this  senti- 
ment or  not  he  was  too  much  of  an  Indian  to  show  it. 
Without  seeming  to  have  heard  the  words  he  asked 
crisply : 

"Why  did  not  my  brother  keep  his  promise  to  the 
Pottawatomies  and  Winnebagoes  ? " 

"In  what  did  I  fail  to  keep  my  promise?" 

"My  brother  said  he  would  give  all  the  property 
of  the  United  States  to  their  chiefs  to  divide  among 
the  warriors  and  squaws." 

"Did  I  not  do  so?" 


154  Black  Partridge 

"The  fire-water  has  been  poured  into  the  river; 
it  is  all  gone;  —  all  wasted." 

Captain  Heald  saw  that  his  visitor  was  in  full  com- 
mand of  his  senses,  but  felt  ugly  over  the  loss  of  his 
loved  beverage. 

"Suppose,  Black  Partridge,  I  had  given  the  fire- 
water to  your  warriors;  when  they  had  drank  it  all, 
what  would  they  do  to  us  ?  Would  one  of  our  lives 
be  spared?  Would  they  show  any  mercy  to  our 
women  and  children?" 

"That  has  naught  to  do  with  it;  my  brother  should 
have  kept  his  pledge;  Black  Partridge  always  does  so." 

"It  seemed  to  me  wise  that  I  should  not  give  them 
the  fire-water;  you  know  how  much  ill  it  has  done 
your  people;  they  would  be  much  better  if  they  had 
never  tasted  it." 

"It  was  the  white  men  who  first  gave  it  to  them; 
then,  when  the  red  men  learned  to  love  the  drink  that 
robs  them  of  their  wits,  the  white  men  take  it  from 
them;  they  have  no  right  to  do  that  when  we  have 
learned  to  Hke  it;  they  should  give  it  to  the  chiefs, 
that  they  might  drink  and  be  filled." 

Captain  Heald  could  not  repress  a  smile. 

"There  are  no  more  than  a  dozen  chiefs  at  Fort 
Dearborn;  do  you  think  you  and  they  could  drink 
all  the  fire-water?" 

The  entrancing  vision  thus  held  out  was  almost 
too  much  for  the  dignity  of  the  Pottawatomie  leader. 


A  Warning  Call  155 

The  prospect  of  an  unlimited  supply  of  whiskey,  espe- 
cially after  he  had  got  a  taste  of  it,  was  Hke  a  glimpse 
of  paradise. 

"We  could  drink  it  all,''''  he  said  decisively;  "all  we 
should  ask  is  that  you  would  give  us  time  —  a  little 
time." 

"It  would  have  taken  a  good  deal  of  time,  but  if 
your  warriors  are  beyond  control  now,  how  would 
you  keep  the  whiskey  from  them?  It  was  not  you 
and  the  other  chiefs  that  we  feared,  but  your  warriors." 

The  peculiarity  of  the  conditions,  however,  forbade 
the  chief  being  satisfied.  Saying  nothing  more  of 
account,  he  took  his  departure. 

But  he  left  his  prize  silver  medal  behind. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

UP  STREAM 

During  these  days  when  the  shadow  that  hung 
over  Fort  Dearborn  steadily  deepened,  Auric  Kingdon 
and  Jethro  Judd  made  their  home  with  the  Kinzies, 
whose  hospitaHty  was  known  for  hundreds  of  miles 
through  the  surrounding  wilderness.  No  matter  who 
crossed  that  threshold,  be  he  white,  red,  or  black,  he 
was  sure  of  a  warm  welcome  and  the  best  the  house 
could  give.  The  name  of  the  trader,  who  spoke  with 
a  single  tongue  and  never  cheated  an  Indian  or  white 
man,  who  ofton  gave  favors  to  those  who  he  knew 
were  unworthy,  who  never  allowed  a  person  to  go 
away  hungry  or  lacking  for  clothing,  was  spoken  in 
the  depths  of  the  wintry  desolation  far  to  the  north- 
ward beyond  the  Saskatchewan,  or  among  the  fast- 
nesses of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  And  none  who 
knew  the.  good  man  failed  to  speak  more  reverently 
and  tenderly  of  the  sweet  woman  that  had  been  his 
companion  and  helpmate  throughout  so  many  years. 

Every  one  was  aware  that  the  trader  had  prospered. 
He  was  wealthy  as  the  times  went,  and  no  one  grudged 
him  his  good  fortune.  Surely  none  deserved  it  more. 
156 


Up  Stream  157 

As  we  remember,  he  spoke  the  dialects  of  most  of  the 
Indians  who  found  their  way  to  his  roomy  store- 
house, and  when  the  visitor  sometimes  came  from  so 
remote  a  point  as  Hudson  Bay,  and  his  language  was 
unintelligible,  the  trader  was  not  at  a  loss,  for  the 
sign  language  was  universal. 

These  facts  being  borne  in  mind,  it  will  be  seen 
how  naturally  Kinzie's  influence  among  the  red  men 
surpassed  that  of  any  other  member  of  his  race.  The 
trader  could  not  but  know  it  himself,  and,  when  he 
decided  to  stay  with  the  garrison,  he  had  good  reason 
for  beheving  he  would  be  of  great  help  to  them.  His 
wife  saw  the  likelihood  of  this  as  clearly  as  he,  and, 
though  it  caused  a  pang,  she  commended  his  action. 
So,  while  the  preparations  were  under  way  for  closing 
up  the  storehouse  and  sending  the  family  to  St.  Joseph, 
the  policy  of  the  head  and  the  two  youths  was  not 
discussed;  for  it  had  been  settled. 

On  the  advice  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  Auric  and  Jethro  kept 
pretty  closely  to  the  house  most  of  the  time.  They 
aided  in  the  preparations  and  made  themselves  help- 
ful, to  the  delight  of  the  children  with  whom  both 
were  favorites,  because  of  their  rolHcking,  fun-loving 
tempers.  The  weather  continued  hot  and  dry,  and 
only  the  warriors  and  squaws  seemed  indifferent  to  the 
flaming  rays  at  midday. 

The  trader  estimated  the  number  of  Indians  in  the 
neighborhood  as  seven  or  eight  hundred.     They  were 


158  Black  Partridge 

mostly  Winnebagoes  and  Pottawatomies,  but  among 
them  were  a  few  belonging  to  other  tribes,  whose 
identity  even  the  trader  was  sometimes  at  a  loss  to 
determine.  It  boded  evil  when  they  took  pains  to 
hide  their  nationahty.  It  happened  more  than  once 
that,  when  addressed  directly  by  the  merchant,  they 
either  did  not  understand  his  words  or  pretended  not  to 
understand  them.  When  Kinzie  inquired  from  some 
of  his  swarthy  friends,  they  also  professed  ignorance. 

"If  they  were  honest,"  thought  the  trader,  "there 
would  be  no  need  of  this  mystery;  they  are  up  to 
deviltry." 

If  there  had  been  any  doubt  in  his  mind  it  was  re- 
moved by  what  he  saw  on  the  same  day  that  Captain 
Heald  held  his  council  with  the  Indians.  Two  of  these 
strangers  came  into  his  store  to  buy  powder.  They 
were  dressed  after  the  fashion  of  the  other  Indians, 
but,  through  some  peculiar  fancy,  they  used  white 
paint,  which  was  supplied  only  to  the  forehead  and 
nose,  the  rest  of  the  face  being  comparatively  clean. 
This  fancy  made  them  look  more  hideous  than  usual, 
if  such  a  thing  can  be  supposed  possible.  Moreover, 
both  of  these  warriors  had  unusually  prominent  cheek- 
bones, and  retreating  chins. 

No  other  customers  were  in  the  store  when  the 
strangers  entered.  Kinzie's  clerk  stepped  forward  to 
wait  upon  them,  when  the  trader  quietly  told  him 
to  stay  in  the  background,  and  leave  them  to  him. 


Up  Stream  159 

In  the  same  minute,  Auric  Kingdon  came  through 
the  door  after  the  customers,  and,  leaning  against  the 
farther  end  of  the  counter,  with  his  elbow  resting 
on  a  pile  of  musty  furs,  he  studied  the  strangers  with 
no  Httle  interest. 

Kinzie  was  quick  to  understand  what  the  couple 
wanted.  Each  carried  a  musket  of  excellent  make, 
and  their  signs  were  intelligible.  He  shook  his  head, 
replying  "I  have  no  powder  to  sell."  This  was  spoken 
in  the  tongue  of  the  Pottawatomies,  then  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes,  and  finally  of  the  Miamis.  To  all,  the  warriors 
responded  with  a  wide  stare,  and  a  negative  shake 
of  their  heads. 

"I  guess  you  have  run  up  against  it,"  remarked 
Auric  with  a  smile,  as  he  watched  proceedings;  "they 
don't  understand  a  word  you  say." 

"They  understand  what  I  said  as  plainly  as  you  do; 
I  see  through  their  trick." 

"Why  should  they  try  that?"  asked  the  astonished 
Auric. 

"They  mean  mischief,  and  are  afraid  they  will  be 
punished;  but  they  are  from  the  Upper  Wabash  and 
I  shall  see  that  the  Great  Father  at  Washington  is 
told  all  about  them,  that  he  may  put  them  to  death 
for  their  evil  acts." 

This  remark  was  meant  more  for  the  visitors  than 
for  the  youth.  It  was  spoken  in  Pottawatomie,  and 
Auric,  who  "caught  on,"  could  hardly  repress  a  grin. 


i6o  Black  Partridge 

He  and  Mr.  Kinzie  closely  watched  the  faces  of  the 
visitors,  who  had  accepted  the  refusal  of  the  trader 
to  furnish  them  ammunition,  as  made  by  him  in  the 
sign  language.  You  have  seen  the  cigar  signs  carved 
in  wood  and  painted  to  represent  Indian  warriors, 
which  are  not  so  popular  in  these  days  as  they  used 
to  be.  Their  countenances  were  as  expressive  as 
those  of  the  two  disappointed  customers. 

Having  said  this  much,  the  trader  waited  for  the 
couple  to  withdraw,  but  they  stood  for  some  minutes 
staring  around  the  large  apartment,  at  the  furs,  cloths, 
trinkets,  bows,  arrows,  powder-horns,  bullet  pouches, 
fishing  tackle,  and  other  things  displayed  on  wall, 
shelf,  counter,  and  wherever  chance  offered.  There 
could  be  no  objection  to  this,  for  they  might  see  some- 
thing which  they  wished  to  buy,  and  it  was  Mr.  Kinzie's 
business  to  sell,  or  rather  to  barter,  for  little  gold  and 
silver  circulated  in  his  dealings. 

Suddenly  one  of  the  strangers  spoke  to  the  trader. 
He  showed  considerable  vivacity,  and  the  intonation 
of  his  words  was  that  of  one  asking  questions.  In- 
stant to  penetrate  the  artifice,  the  trader's  bronzed 
face  flushed  with  anger. 

"You  do  not  deceive  me;  you  said  nothing  at  all; 
you  wished  to  make  me  think  you  did;  you  jumbled 
a  lot  of  gibberish  together,  but  I  am  no  fool;  I  am 
speaking  to  you  in  Pottawatomie  and  you  understand 
what  I  say;  stay  in  my  store  no  longer." 


Up  Stream  i6l 

The  visitors,  if  they  comprehended  the  last  com- 
mand, were  too  cunning  to  show  it.  The  merchant 
had  no  thought  of  using  force,  but  an  interesting 
compHcation  threatened,  when  through  the  door 
which  stood  partly  open,  because  of  the  warmth  of 
the  weather,  a  Winnebago  Indian,  also  bearing  a 
long  rifle,  entered.  He  was  the  miscreant  Wag-ma-rah, 
than  whom  there  was  no  more  bloodthirsty  wretch 
within  a  hundred  miles  of  Fort  Dearborn.  He  could 
dissemble  when  he  chose,  and  the  grin  with  which  he 
glanced  from  the  trader  to  his  clerk,  and  then  to  the 
angry  Auric,  did  not  deceive  any  one  of  the  three. 

"Wag-ma-rah,"  said  the  merchant,  sharply;  "who 
are  these  men?" 

The  Winnebago  looked  keenly  at  them  as  if  he  had 
never  seen  either  before.  They  in  turn  stared  at  him 
with  stolid  countenances.  Each  might  have  doubted 
the  species  to  which  the  other  belonged. 

"Come,"  said  the  trader,  impatiently;  "you  have 
met  them  before;  they  are  not  the  only  members  of 
their  tribe  that  are  near  Fort  Dearborn;  I  think  they 
are  Miamis  who  have  painted  their  faces  this  way, 
so  that  we  shall  not  know  them;  their  actions  show 
that  they  understand  everything  I  said  to  them.  What 
is  their  tribe?" 

Wag-ma-rah  tried  the  couple  in  several  dialects, 
to  none  of  which  they  made  response,  but  gazed  as 
vapidly  at  the  questioner  as  before. 


i62  Black  Partridge 

With  clerk,  trader,  and  Auric  keenly  watching  the  visi- 
tors, they  turned  about  and  walked  out  of  the  store. 
As  they  did  so,  they  passed  so  near  Wag-ma-rah  that 
the  clothing  of  one  of  them  grazed  him.  Neither 
spoke,  and  when  the  strangers  crossed  the  threshold, 
they  went  in  the  direction  of  the  fort,  as  if  they  had  no 
further  interest  in  the  storehouse  and  its  occupants. 

They  had  hardly  gone,  when  Wag-ma-rah  followed, 
but,  on  the  outside,  he  turned  abruptly  to  the  left, 
going  toward  a  group  of  his  own  people,  who  had 
gathered  a  short  distance  off  and  were  talking  together. 

"Did  you  notice  anything.  Auric?"  asked  the  trader. 

"If  you  mean  when  they  passed  so  close  to  Wag-ma- 
rah,  I  must  say  I  did." 

"What  was  it?" 

"Neither  he  nor  they  spoke,  but  there  was  a  mean- 
ing glance  between  them,  which  may  have  meant  a 
good  deal." 

"  I  saw  it,  though  the  faces  of  the  couple  were  turned 
partly  away;  they  not  only  understood  every  word 
spoken  while  they  were  here,  but  they  and  the  Winne- 
bago are  companions  in  deviltry." 

"Why  did  they  come  to  the  store?" 

"They  wanted  powder." 

"You  have  plenty." 

"Not  enough  to  sell  any  to  the  Indians." 

At  this  juncture,  Jethro  Judd  sauntered  into  the  store 
and  was  told  of  the  incident  that  had  just  occurred. 


Up  Stream  163 

"Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,"  said  he,  "I  saw 
Wag-ma-rah  and  that  couple  together  just  at  dusk 
last  evening.  They  were  to  the  left  of  the  parade 
ground,  near  the  woods,  and  two  or  three  others, 
belonging  to  the  same  tribe,  were  with  them." 

"I'm  quite  sure  you  are  right,  but  possibly  are 
mistaken  as  to  this  particular  couple;  I  wish  you  and 
Auric  would  use  your  eyes,  and  learn  all  you  can 
about  this  business;  there  are  more  of  those  Indians 
from  a  distance  than  Captain  Heald  or  Lieutenant 
Helm,  or  any  of  the  officers,  suspect;  the  rest  don't 
need  others  to  stir  them  up  to  mischief,  but  I'm  satis- 
fied that  that  is  just  what  is  going  on." 

The  youths  welcomed  this  chance  for  doing  a  val- 
uable service.  Despite  the  restlessness  among  the 
many  Indians  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  fort,  nothing 
of  an  openly  hostile  nature  had  yet  taken  place,  nor 
was  it  likely  to  take  place  for  two  or  three  days,  or 
before  the  evacuation  of  the  post. 

The  better  to  carry  on  their  work,  our  young 
friends  separated,  agreeing  to  meet  on  the  bank  of  the 
stream  early  in  the  evening  to  compare  notes.  It 
should  be  said  that  since  their  arrival  at  the  post,  both 
had  met  the  treacherous  Wag-ma-rah  several  times. 
Although  neither  party  pretended  to  hide  the  truth 
from  the  other,  the  Winnebago  assumed  a  friendliness, 
meant  for  others,  for  he  knew  the  boys  could  not  be 
deceived. 


164  Black  Partridge 

Little  had  been  seen  of  Black  Partridge.  He  was 
immersed  in  schemes  of  his  own,  though  the  surrender 
of  his  medal  to  Captain  Heald  caused  grave  fear  on 
the  part  of  Mr.  Kinzie  that  it  meant  he  had  become 
an  enemy  who  would  strike  as  venomously  as  the  others, 
when  the  outbreak  came.  The  fact  that  he  avoided 
the  youths  strengthened  this  misgiving  on  the  part 
of  the  sagacious  trader. 

The  moon  was  shining,  though  the  night  was  young, 
when  Jethro  Judd  came  down  to  the  stream  at  the 
point  where  he  and  his  friend  had  left  the  canoe.  A 
few  minutes  later.  Auric  strode  forward,  and  the  two 
paused  on  the  river  bank. 

"What  have  you  learned?"  asked  Auric. 

"A  canoe  passed  up  stream  a  half  hour  ago." 

"I  saw  it,  but  only  Wag-ma- rah  was  in  it." 

"That  was  true  at  first,  but  I  suspected  he  was  up 
to  something  and  I  managed  to  keep  him  in  sight  till 
he  reached  the  bend.  Just  beyond  that  he  turned 
into  shore,  and  five  other  Indians  came  out  of  the 
wood  and  stepped  into  the  boat.  I  thought  so  many 
of  them  would  sink  it,  but  they  didn't,  and  Wag-ma- 
rah  paddled  very  slowly." 

"Did  you  follow  them  farther?" 

"No;  I  was  running  against  some  of  the  Indians 
all  the  time;  they  seem  to  be  wandering  everywhere 
and  would  have  suspected  what  I  was  doing." 

"What  about  Wag-ma-rah?" 


Up  Stream  165 

"He  wasn't  looking  for  anything  of  the  kind  and 
didn't  see  me;  but,  if  he  had  been  expecting  it,  I  must 
have  been  discovered.  I  thought  best  to  come  back 
and  tell  you  what  I  had  noticed." 

"Mr.  Kinzie  told  us  to  learn  all  we  could,  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  follow 
that  canoe." 

"We  certainly  can't  do  any  good  by  staying  here; 
we  may  dodge  them  if  they  are  coming  back,  by  run- 
ning in  close  to  shore." 

"And  even  if  we  do  meet  them  they  will  not  dare  to 
object;  we  have  as  much  right  to  paddle  in  the  stream 
at  this  time  of  night  as  they  have.  So  get  in  and  we'll 
be  off." 

Auric  took  his  place  at  the  stem  of  the  boat  that 
was  used  in  passing  between  the  Kinzie  home  and  the 
fort,  and  Jethro  laid  his  gun  in  the  bottom,  and  began 
swinging  the  paddle,  as  he  had  done  many  a  time  in 
the  past. 

Jethro  displayed  his  usual  skill  in  propelling  the 
canoe.  The  bright  moonhght  was  unfavorable  in 
some  respects,  for,  although  he  kept  close  as  he  could 
to  the  shore,  taking  advantage  of  the  ribbon  of 
shadow  that  partly  veiled  the  bank,  he  was  often 
compelled  to  expose  himself  and  companion.  As  has 
been  shown,  a  good  many  Indians  were  abroad,  and 
some  of  them  must  have  observed  the  craft  with  its 
occupants.     Once    our    young   friends   thought    they 


1 66  Black  Partridge 

were  to  be  compelled  to  give  an  account  of  them- 
selves, for  two  brawny  warriors  suddenly  appeared  on 
the  bank  of  the  stream  only  a  few  rods  distant.  It 
was  impossible  to  tell  where  they  had  come  from. 
They  seemed  equally  surprised  at  sight  of  the 
youths,  at  whom  they  stared  for  a  brief  interval  in 
silence. 

Meanwhile,  Jethro  kept  steadily  swaying  the  paddle, 
neither  hurrying  nor  retarding  his  speed.  Suddenly 
one  of  the  men  called  in  EngUsh: 

"Where  go?  — Who  be?—  " 

"We  are  your  friends,  who  are  taking  a  little  run  on 
this  moonlit  night." 

Auric  spoke  in  Pottawatomie,  rightly  suspecting 
that  the  couple  belonged  to  that  tribe.  Evidently 
they  were  astonished,  and,  after  a  short  silence,  the 
warrior  who  had  first  spoken  called  in  the  same 
tongue  that  the  youth  had  used: 

"Let  my  sons  come  to  land  that  we  may  talk  with 
them." 

"We  haven't  time  now;  we  shall  be  glad  to  talk 
with  you  at  the  fort  to-morrow." 

Doubtful  how  the  refusal  would  be  accepted.  Auric 
held  his  rifle  ready  for  instant  use.  All  parties  were 
in  such  clear  sight  that  the  youth  would  have  noted 
the  first  hostile  movement  on  the  part  of  the  Potta- 
watomies  and  would  have  anticipated  it.  To  his  reUef, 
however,    the    couple    made   no    demonstration,    and 


Up  Stream  167 

moved  off  toward  a  group  that  could  be  dimly  noted 
a  little  farther  inland. 

Having  left  them  behind,  our  young  friends  kept  a 
keen  lookout  for  the  canoe  of  Wag-ma- rah.  The 
boys  had  no  wish  to  meet  it,  for  the  farther  they  went 
from  the  post,  the  more  Ukely  such  a  meeting  would 
cause  a  fight.  If  the  Winnebago  and  two  companions 
had  dared  to  attack  the  young  Americans  a  few  days 
before,  surely  six  of  them  would  not  hesitate  to  do  so 
now.  Prudence  whispered  to  the  youths  to  turn  back 
while  they  had  the  time,  but  it  was  just  Hke  them  to 
keep  on.  Youth  is  always  venturesome  and  the  cer- 
tainty of  danger  adds  spice  to  the  undertaking  in 
hand. 

Jethro  was  paddHng  slowly  and  silently  over  the 
sluggish  stream,  hugging  the  shore  as  closely  as  he 
could,  when  Auric  suddenly  whispered  "5/^/"  At 
the  same  instant  Jethro  held  the  blade  motionless, 
for  he  had  been  equally  quick  to  detect  the  danger. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE   BURNS   CABIN 

That  which  had  caught  the  eye  of  the  youths  was 
an  Indian  canoe,  drawn  up  against  the  bank,  just  far 
enough  to  prevent  its  displacement  by  the  current. 
No  warrior  was  visible. 

In  accordance  with  his  training,  Jethro  noiselessly 
worked  his  boat  back  for  several  yards,  and  then 
checked  it  with  its  nose  against  the  shore.  Then  the 
two  sat  for  four  or  five  minutes,  listening  without 
either  speaking.     Auric  was  the  first  to  whisper: 

"We  don't  hear  anything  of  them,  but  I  beHeve 
they  are  not  far  off;  you  have  no  doubt  of  that  being 
the  canoe  we  saw?" 

"None  at  all;  what  shall  we  do?" 

That  was  the  question  indeed,  and  it  was  hard  for 
the  two  to  decide.  It  was  absurd  to  beheve  that  if 
Wag-ma- rah  and  his  treacherous  companions  wished 
to  have  a  secret  talk,  they  would  take  the  pains  to 
come  this  distance  from  the  fort,  when  no  possible 
necessity  existed.  And  yet,  knowing  the  miscreant 
as  they  did,  and  well  aware  of  his  venomous  hatred 
of  all  white  men,  neither  could  doubt  that  he  was 
i68 


The  Burns  Cabin  169 

controlled  by  some  malignant  motive.  His  purpose 
must  concern  the  garrison  and  white  families.  If 
Auric,  with  his  knowledge  of  the  different  Indian 
tongues,  could  learn  the  truth,  it  would  be  of  moment- 
ous importance  to  Captain  Heald  and  to  Mr.  Kinzie 
himself. 

It  was  a  striking  proof  of  the  mental  brightness 
and  woodcraft  of  the  youths  that  both  fixed  upon  the 
same  explanation,  and,  as  results  proved,  they  were 
correct. 

"Now  Wag-ma- rah  and  those  scamps  with  him 
would  never  have  paddled  this  far  for  the  sake  of 
having  a  talk  together,"  said  Jethro;  "an  Indian 
hates  work  too  much  to  indulge  in  it  when  he  doesn't 
have  to.  They  have  come  up  here  to  meet  another 
party  of  Indians ;  there  may  be  twenty  or  more  of  them ; 
they  are  forming  some  plot  to  get  a  larger  share  of 
the  plunder  than  belongs  to  them,  or  to  reach  a  clear 
understanding  of  what  they  shall  do  when  the  other 
Indians  make  their  attack  on  us  after  we  leave  the 
fort." 

"And  these  redskins  whom  they  have  set  out  to 
meet  belong  to  the  same  tribe  with  the  couple  that 
came  into  Mr.  Kinzie's  store  this  afternoon;  of  course 
the  two  are  with  them;  they  are  the  ringleaders  in 
this  frightful  plot,  and  if  we  had  enough  men  with 
us  to  wipe  out  the  whole  party,  I  believe  it  would 
save  us  all.** 


1 70  Black  Partridge 

"I  wish  we  had  them,"  muttered  Jethro,  with  a 
compression  of  the  lips  and  a  flash  of  the  eyes  which 
showed  his  deadly  earnestness. 

So  long  as  the  two  held  their  present  position  they 
must  be  in  peril,  for  the  returning  Indians  could  not 
fail  to  discover  the  canoe,  even  if  the  youths  concealed 
themselves.  The  banks  of  the  stream  were  covered 
wth  long,  lush  grass,  somewhat  wilted  by  the  con- 
tinued drought,  but  there  were  no  trees  for  some 
distance  in  any  direction.  Peering  off  to  one  side  of 
the  stream  they  made  out  the  dim  form  of  the  cabin 
of  the  settler  named  John  Bums,  who,  with  his  family, 
were  slain  and  scalped  by  a  party  of  Winnebagoes  in 
the  month  of  the  preceding  April.  The  marauders 
did  not  bum  the  small  stmcture  of  logs,  which  now 
remained  as  a  memorial  of  the  dreadful  tragedy. 

"We  must  hide  the  boat,"  said  Auric,  as  he  stepped 
to  land.  Jethro  did  the  same,  and  the  two  pulled  the 
canoe  far  enough  in  the  grass  to  conceal  it  from  sight 
of  any  one  passing  up  or  down  stream.  Wag-ma- rah 
might  paddle  within  a  yard  of  shore  without  seeing  it. 

This  precaution  having  been  taken,  our  young 
friends  were  again  at  a  standstill.  They  could  not 
guess  the  location  of  the  parties  they  were  hunting, 
nor  did  they  know  where  to  look  for  them.  The 
presence  of  their  canoe  a  few  rods  away  showed  they 
had  made  a  landing,  but  how  could  it  be  learned 
whither  they  had  gone? 


The  Burns  Cabin  171 

Assuming  a  crouching  posture,  the  two  raised  their 
heads  high  enough  to  look  in  every  direction  over  the 
top  of  the  grass.  As  revealed  in  the  moonHght,  they 
saw  the  marshy  ground,  stretching  above  them  until 
it  reached  the  dark  line  of  the  woods,  while  a  hundred 
yards  distant  the  faint  outlines  of  Burns's  cabin  showed. 
But  look  toward  whichever  point  of  the  compass 
they  chose,  they  failed  to  see  a  living  person. 

Puzzled  as  to  what  they  should  do,  if  indeed  they 
could  do  anything,  Jethro  was  about  to  whisper  to 
his  friend,  when  both  suddenly  heard  two  or  three 
words,  uttered  in  such  guttural  tones  as  to  show  the 
speaker  was  an  Indian. 

"That  was  Winnebago!"  said  Auric. 

"What  do  the  words  mean?" 

"'We  go  home.'" 

Sometimes  at  night  an  eddy  of  wind  will  suddenly 
carry  one's  voice  a  long  distance  and  cease  to  do  so  as 
suddenly,  owing  to  a  change  in  the  air  current.  The 
words  had  come  from  the  direction  of  the  deserted 
cabin.  The  youths  listened,  expecting  to  hear  more, 
but  all  remained  as  silent  as  the  tomb.  The  favoring 
twist,  so  to  speak,  in  the  air  was  not  repeated. 

But  matters  did  not  long  remain  quiescent.  Natu- 
rally, since  the  words  had  come  from  the  direction  of 
the  old  cabin,  the  youths  kept  their  attention  mainly 
upon  that  point. 

They  were  still  looking  and  listening,  when  they 


172  Black  Partridge 

descried  shadowy  forms  which  they  knew  at  once 
were  Indians.  They  were  coming  apparently  from 
the  cabin  and  making  their  way  to  the  boat. 

"They  will  pass  mighty  close;  let's  move  a  little 
farther  off,"  suggested  Auric,  who,  as  he  spoke,  re- 
treated several  yards  into  the  grass,  followed  by  his 
friend.  At  a  safe  distance  they  halted  and  again 
waited  and  listened.  By  and  by  they  heard  the 
approaching  redskins,  against  whose  legs  and  bodies 
the  tall  grass  swished.  No  one  spoke,  for  apparently 
each  warrior  had  said  all  he  had  in  mind  to  say. 

There  was  little  risk  in  taking  a  peep  at  the 
strangers,  and  the  youths  raised  their  heads  high 
enough  to  see  them.  The  first  glimpse  revealed  that 
instead  of  six  warriors  there  were  fully  three  times  as 
many,  —  a  fact  which  confirmed  both  in  the  opinion 
they  had  formed  as  to  the  meaning  of  this  night  trip 
of  Wag-ma- rah  and  his  companions. 

The  red  men  were  so  near  that  Auric  and  Jethro 
had  no  time  for  theorizing.  It  was  impossible  that 
all  their  enemies  should  return  to  the  neighborhood 
of  the  fort  by  means  of  the  boat.  If  not,  they  must 
pass  alarmingly  close  to  where  the  lads  were  crouch- 
ing. Auric  saw  the  danger  and,  touching  the  shoulder 
of  his  comrade,  began  creeping  still  farther  into  the 
grass  and  away  from  their  canoe. 

The  precaution  was  not  a  moment  too  soon.  Three 
of  the  Indians  entered  the  craft  and  one  of  them 


The  Burns  Cabin  173 

began  paddling  toward  the  fort.  The  others  tramped 
through  the  grass  beside  the  stream.  In  doijjg  so 
they  bisected  the  trail  of  the  youths,  whom  they  must 
have  discovered  but  for  their  change  of  position. 
Not  until  they  were  beyond  sight  did  Jethro  speak. 

"It  looks,  Auric,  as  if  they  made  their  meeting- 
place  at  Bums's  house;  why  do  you  suppose  they  did 
that?" 

*T  don't  know  that  they  had  any  reason,  unless  it 
was  easier  for  the  redskins  to  find,  since  they  must 
have  come  from  many  different  directions." 

'T  don't  fancy  we  can  learn  anything  by  taking  a 
look  at  the  cabin,  but  since  Wag-ma-rah  and  his 
friends  have  given  us  the  slip,  let's  have  a  squint  at  it." 

*Tt  can't  be  that  any  of  them  are  staying  behind; 
if  so,  it  won't  do  to  run  into  them." 

"We'll  be  careful,  but  I  can't  think  of  any  reason 
that  would  keep  a  part  of  the  Winnebagoes  behind, 
while  the  others  have  gone  back  to  the  fort.  Come 
on;  there's  no  saying  what  we  shall  learn." 

Never  were  truer  words  spoken. 

If  either  Auric  or  Jethro  had  been  asked  to  tell 
what  he  expected  to  gain  by  the  venture  upon  which 
they  now  entered  he  could  not  have  answered.  If 
any  of  the  Indians  were  still  in  the  cabin,  the  boys 
needed  to  give  it  a  wide  berth,  since  the  circumstances 
shut  out  all  possibility  of  playing  the  eavesdropper; 
if  none  of  them  was  there  no  information  was  to  be 


174  Black  Partridge 

obtained.  None  the  less,  the  youths  pushed  on 
through  the  tall  grass,  taking  as  much  care  to  hide 
their  approach  as  if  they  were  entering  the  camp  of 
an  enemy. 

John  Bums's  cabin  stood  on  slightly  elevated  ground, 
more  than  a  hundred  yards  from  the  river.  This 
location  secured  it  against  any  overflow  or  rise  of  the 
stream.  The  land  for  most  of  the  intervening  distance 
was  so  weedy  and  poor,  that  no  attempt  was  ever 
made  to  till  it,  but  directly  in  front  of  the  dwelling  a 
patch  of  ground  was  cleared,  and  was  being  put  under 
cultivation  when  the  raiding  Winnebagoes  swooped 
down  and  killed  every  member  of  the  family.  At 
the  rear  another  small  space  was  generally  tilled, 
but  the  calamity  had  come  too  early  in  the  season  for 
anything  of  that  nature  to  be  done. 

The  log  structure  was  so  situated  that  the  moonlight 
struck  the  front.  While  the  lads  were  still  some  dis- 
tance they  could  see  the  open  door,  which  had  been 
stove  in  and  wrenched  from  its  hinges.  On  either 
side  of  the  entrance  was  a  window,  also  smashed,  so 
that  any  one  could  have  forced  his  way  through  it. 
No  door  was  at  the  rear,  but  there  were  two  other 
windows  in  a  similar  wrecked  condition. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  will  be  observed  that 
our  young  friends  could  veil  their  approach  until 
within  a  few  rods  of  the  cabin,  where  the  old  culti- 
vated   ground,    now    partly    overgrown    with    weeds, 


The  Burns  Cabin  175 

compelled  them  to  pass  into  the  open.  When  they 
reached  the  boundary  line  they  halted. 

"I  wonder,"  whispered  Auric,  "whether  the  Winne- 
bagoes  held  their  council  inside." 

"It  doesn't  seem  likely;  they  probably  used  the 
cabin  as  a  landmark  to  guide  the  different  warriors 
to  the  spot." 

"Have  you  ever  been  in  the  cabin  since  the  family 
were  killed?" 

"I  came  out  with  the  party  who  buried  the  poor 
folks,  after  the  Indians  had  been  driven  off.  We 
brought  away  what  Uttle  furniture  was  left,  and  the 
interior  is  empty." 

"I  don't  see  why  we  should  hold  back,  if  we  are 
going  to  take  a  peep  inside." 

Carefully  peering  in  all  directions  and  discovering 
nothing.  Auric  took  the  lead  with  his  friend  at  his 
heels.  A  pecuUar  shiver  was  felt  by  both  as  they 
drew  near  the  small  porch,  consisting  of  a  couple  of 
tumble-down  steps,  and  recalled  the  terrible  deed 
that  had  been  done  there  hardly  four  months  before. 
Had  either  of  the  boys  been  alone  he  would  have 
recoiled  when  on  the  threshold,  but  there  was  nothing 
of  the  kind  now. 

Auric  was  the  first  to  enter  the  cabin.  The  moon- 
beams fell  a  few  inches  within  the  door,  but  beyond 
that,  everything  being  in  shadow,  the  eye  saw  nothing. 
They  were  in  utter  darkness,  so  far  as  their  immediate 


176  Black  Partridge 

surroundings  were  concerned,  but  the  openings  of  the 
door  and  windows  against  the  silvery  moonlight 
enabled  them  to  keep  their  bearings. 

"Jet,  I  have  never  been  inside  and  can't  see  where 
to  put  foot  or  hand;  suppose  you  take  the  lead." 

"There's  little  leading  to  do;  we  have  only  one 
square  room  with  nothing  in  it  beside  ourselves.  You 
saw  the  stone  chimney  from  the  outside,  and  know 
where  the  fireplace  is." 

Each  lad  held  his  gun  in  his  extended  left  hand, 
with  the  empty  right  reaching  out  and  diverging  from 
it.  This  precaution  was  to  prevent  their  bumping 
into  anything  which  the  eye  was  unable  to  detect. 
One  turned  to  the  right  and  the  other  to  the  left,  push- 
ing their  shoes  inch  by  inch  over  the  rough  floor,  and 
wabbUng  their  hands  in  front  to  make  sure  no  obstacle 
got  between  them. 

Auric  snickered. 

"What  are  we  doing  this  for,  Jet?" 

"Blessed  if  I  know;  let's  get  out  and  go  home; 
suppose  the  Winnebagoes  should  find  they  had  for- 
gotten something  and  come  back;  wouldn't  we  be 
caught  in  a  fine  scrape?" 

"What  could  they  forget?" 

"They  might  have  appointed  a  secretary  who  left 
his  papers  behind — " 

Auric  gave  a  gasp  of  terror.  Jethro  stopped  and 
whispered : 


The  Burns  Cabin  177 

"What's  the  matter?" 

"There's  some  one  else  in  this  room!  I  felt  his 
foot!" 

The  two  stood  as  if  frozen,  listening  and  vainly 
trying  to  peer  into  the  gloom.  No  sound  was  heard, 
nor  could  either  detect  the  faintest  noise. 

"It  can't  be,  Auric;  how  did  you  make  the  mistake?" 

"Step  over  to  my  side." 

Guided  by  the  sound  of  the  guarded  voice,  Jethro 
began  feeling  his  way  to  his  friend.  At  the  second 
step  he  stopped  short,  his  heart  almost  standing  still. 

"You're  right!  let's  leave!" 

"Hold  on;  if  he's  alive  he'll  pick  us  off  as  we  go 
through  the  door." 

For  the  minute  or  two  that  they  stood  motionless, 
their  thoughts  were  busy.  They  knew  beyond  a 
doubt  that  some  one  else  was  in  the  cabin,  for  each 
had  struck  his  foot  while  groping  about  in  the  dark- 
ness. 

In  that  brief  interval,  it  became  clear  to  both  that 
whoever  the  person  was,  he  was  dead.  If  not,  he  never 
would  have  allowed  the  two  to  enter  unchallenged, 
nor  would  he  have  remained  still  while  they  were 
moving  about  the  place. 

"Hold  my  gun,"  whispered  Auric,  and  his  com- 
panion groped  about  with  one  hand  until  it  closed 
around  the  weapon. 

Auric  drew  forth  his  steel  and  flint  and  tinder.     He 


178  Black  Partridge 

struck  the  metal  rapidly  against  the  flint,  sending  out 
a  stream  of  sparks,  one  of  which  soon  caught  the  pre- 
pared bit  of  linen.  This  was  raised  in  front  of  his 
face  and  he  blew  carefully  upon  it  until  it  broke  into 
a  tiny  flame.  Then  he  raised  it  above  his  head  and 
the  two  saw  a  starthng  sight. 

At  one  side  of  the  room  sat  a  Winnebago  warrior, 
or  rather  that  which  had  been  such.  His  back  was 
against  the  logs  behind  him,  so  that  his  pose  was  a 
sitting  one,  except  that  his  head  was  bowed  forward 
on  his  chest.  His  arms  hung  limp  at  his  side,  and 
his  legs  were  thrust  out  in  front,  separating  the  feet 
by  a  space  of  half  a  yard.  It  was  against  one  of  the 
moccasins  that  Auric  Kingdon  struck  his  shoe  while 
feeling  his  way  around  the  room. 

The  boys  knew  the  Indian  was  dead  before  they 
looked  upon  him.  The  frightful  wound  on  his  crown 
left  no  doubt  of  the  means  by  which  death  had  come 
to  him.  The  knife  and  tomahawk  had  been  taken 
from  his  girdle,  and  his  rifle  was  gone.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  some  of  the  party  whom  our  young  friends 
tried  to  shadow  had  entered  the  Bums  cabin.  A 
violent  quarrel  followed,  and  here  was  the  result. 
Perhaps  the  miserable  victim  had  raised  his  voice 
in  a  prayer  for  mercy  to  the  whites,  and  his  enraged 
chief  struck  him  down.  It  might  have  been  a  different 
plea,  but  for  the  fact  that  no  American  Indian  ever 
slew  another  for  urging  vengeance  upon  an  enemy. 


The  Burns  Cabin  179 

Auric  held  the  bit  of  rag  until  it  burned  his  fingers, 
when  he  dropped  it  to  the  floor  and  took  his  gun  from 
the  hand  of  his  friend. 

"It  is  time  to  leave,  Jet;  we  have  seen  more  than 
we  wanted  to  see." 

Passing  through  the  door  they  were  moving  across 
the  small  open  space,  when,  to  their  consternation, 
they  found  themselves  face  to  face  with  at  least  a 
dozen  of  the  Winnebagoes,  who,  for  some  reason,  were 
coming  back  to  the  cabin. 

"Into  the  house!"  exclaimed  Jethro;  "we've  got 
to  make  a  fight  for  it!" 

Auric  was  at  his  heels,  and  a  minute  later  he  gave 
an  exhibition  of  woodcraft  that  would  have  done 
credit  to  the  most  famous  scout  on  the  frontier. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

OUTWITTED 

The  returning  Winnebagoes  caught  sight  of  the 
two  youths  an  instant  before  the  latter  saw  them. 
One  party  was  as  much  astonished  as  the  other,  but 
the  mutual  feeling  lasted  only  a  few  seconds.  The 
redskins  did  not  make  any  outcry,  but  dashed  for- 
ward to  capture  the  lads. 

In  doing  so  they  committed  an  error,  for  they  gave 
them  time  to  dive  through  the  open  door,  whereas, 
had  they  opened  fire,  they  must  have  brought  down 
one  if  not  both,  when  such  slight  distance  separated 
the  parties.  But  the  Winnebagoes  may  have  asked 
themselves  whether  better  work  would  not  be  accom- 
plished by  capturing  the  young  Americans.  The 
reports  of  guns  might  bring  a  rescue  party  from  the 
fort,  for,  as  we  have  shown,  the  hour  had  not  arrived 
for  open  hostilities.  If  the  boys  were  taken,  the 
merciless  captors  could  work  their  will  with  them 
without  danger  to  themselves. 

By  driving  Auric  and  Jethro  into  the  old  cabin, 
they  would  be  caught  inextricably  in  a  trap.  That 
was  the  plan,  therefore,  which  was  followed  by  the 

i8o 


Outwitted  i8l 

Winnebagoes.  They  saw  the  couple  dart  through 
the  door  into  the  darkness  of  the  building,  and  prob- 
ably the  redskins  grinned  with  exultation  when  they 
witnessed  the  success  of  their  scheme. 

But  these  same  redskins  did  not  need  to  be  told 
that  the  youths  thus  driven  at  bay  would  die  fighting, 
rather  than  submit  to  the  tenderest  mercies  of  a  Winne- 
bago. To  make  a  charge,  therefore,  through  the 
open  door  would  have  brought  the  shots  that  were 
certain  to  stretch  two  at  least  of  the  warriors  in  death, 
after  which  the  young  Americans  would  club  their 
guns  and  give  a  terrific  account  of  themselves. 

The  Winnebagoes  numbered  more  than  Auric  and 
Jethro  supposed.  There  were  sixteen  of  them,  and, 
as  fate  ordered,  one  was  Wag-ma-rah,  whose  hatred 
of  the  lads  was  like  that  of  a  fiend.  The  opportunity 
for  which  he  longed  and  had  sought  had  come  to  him 
when  he  had  no  expectation  of  the  kind.  Far  be  it 
from  him  to  let  it  pass  unimproved!  One  of  these 
youths  had  wounded  two  of  his  companions,  so  that 
as  yet  they  could  take  no  part  in  warfare,  and  the 
two  had  brought  humihation  upon  him.  Revenge  is 
sweet,  and  to  no  human  being  so  sweet  as  to  the  Ameri- 
can Indian. 

The  besiegers  were  speedily  confronted  by  a  prob- 
lem which  must  have  given  them  anxiety.  They 
could  hold  the  couple  in  the  cabin  beyond  any  possi- 
bility of  escape,  but  several  days  and  nights  must  pass 


1 82  Black  Partridge 

before  they  would  succumb  to  hunger  ox  thirst.  Be- 
fore that  period  passed  the  youths  would  be  missed 
at  Fort  Dearborn,  and  in  all  probability  their  friends 
would  not  know  where  to  look  for  them.  It  was  all- 
important,  therefore,  that  the  issue  should  be  speedily 
forced. 

Within  ten  minutes  after  the  couple  had  dashed 
into  the  cabin  the  Winnebagoes  had  separated,  and 
spread  out  so  as  to  enclose  it  on  every  side.  Since  it 
stood  well  out  from  the  wood  on  the  north,  and  was 
surrounded  by  the  tall  grass,  up  to  where  the  tilled 
ground  began,  not  even  a  cat  could  have  stolen  in  or 
out  without  being  revealed  in  the  bright  moonhght. 

It  will  be  understood  further,  that  if  the  besieging 
Indians  had  chosen  to  do  so,  they  could  have  cap- 
tured both  youths  after  a  brief  struggle;  but  of  neces- 
sity such  a  struggle  involved  the  certain  death  of  the 
foremost  redskins.  Driven  at  bay,  the  youths  would 
fight  like  tigers,  and  one  or  two  of  their  enemies  must 
bite  the  dust. 

Now,  although  the  American  Indian  at  times  shows 
high  personal  courage,  there  is  no  record  of  any  one 
of  them  sacrificing  himself  for  the  "good  of  the  cause"; 
he  is  willing  to  join  in  a  charge  or  rush,  but  has  no 
heart  for  playing  the  martyr.  Thus  it  came  about 
that,  while  separating  and  disposing  themselves  so  as 
to  command  all  sides  of  the  cabin,  they  took  care  not 
to  tempt  a  shot  from  the  defenders. 


Outwitted  183 

Wag-ma- rah  knew  that  one  of  the  lads — and  the  one 
whom  he  held  in  special  abhorrence — could  speak  his 
tongue  as  well  as  he.  So,  keeping  himself  screened  in 
the  grass  at  the  front  of  the  cabin,  he  called  out : 

"Let  my  brothers  give  themselves  up  to  the  Winne- 
bagoes;  they  shall  not  be  harmed." 

This  being  so,  the  ones  thus  summoned  might  well 
ask  in  return  the  reason  for  this  demand  upon  them 
for  surrender.  No  open  warfare  existed  between 
their  people  and  the  red  men  around  Fort  Dearborn, 
and  the  call,  to  say  the  least,  was  a  singular  one. 

Having  spoken  in  a  voice  which  he  tried  to  dis- 
guise, Wag-ma-rah  and  the  whole  party  waited  for 
the  reply  of  the  Americans.  Several  mimites  passed 
and  the  silence  was  unbroken'.  The  Winnebago 
called  again,  increasing  the  loudness  of  his  voice, 
and  repeating  his  words.  But,  as  before,  he  failed 
to  bring  any  response. 

"My  brothers  cannot  help  themselves,"  called  the 
Winnebago;  "if  they  do  not  come  forth  we  shall 
bum  the  white  man's  wigwam  over  their  heads!  We 
shall  show  them  no  mercy  if  they  do  not  believe  the 
promise  of  the  Winnebagoes." 

To  this  the  reply  might  have  been  made  that  no 
mercy  would  be  shown  if  the  command  of  the  redskins 
were  obeyed.  But,  so  far  as  results  went,  Wag-ma- 
rah  might  as  well  have  addressed  his  words  to  the 
logs  themselves. 


184  Black  Partridge 

I  said  at  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter  that 
Auric  Kingdon  gave  an  exhibition  of  woodcraft  which 
would  have  done  credit  to  the  most  distinguished  of 
the  white  scouts  of  the  frontier.     It  was  in  this  wise: 

When  he  and  Jethro  Judd  plunged  through  the 
entrance,  they  did  not  halt  for  a  moment,  but  dashed 
to  the  rear. 

"Out  of  the  window,  Jet  !"  he  called;  "it's  our 
only  chance  to  give  them  the  slip!" 

The  next  instant,  Auric  was  forcing  his  body  through 
the  opening  on  his  right.  It  was  a  tight  squeeze, 
and  it  looked  for  an  instant  as  if  he  would  fail.  But 
he  leaned  his  rifle  against  the  outside,  with  the  stock 
on  the  ground,  and  desperately  forced  himself  through 
at  some  expense  to  his  clothing.  Jethro  was  hardly 
a  second  behind  him,  and  the  two  dropped  lightly 
to  the  earth,  crouched  as  low  as  they  could,  scurried 
across  the  weedy  garden,  and,  diving  into  the  tall 
grass,  kept  up  their  flight  till  they  had  run  fifty  paces 
or  more. 

The  cleverness  of  this  action  lay  in  its  promptness. 
Had  the  youths  hesitated  for  only  a  minute  they 
would  have  been  too  late.  Few  would  have  thought 
of  the  recourse  until  after  they  had  stood  at  bay  for 
some  time,  with  the  cabin  enclosed  on  all  sides  and 
escape  shut  off.  In  the  same  moment  that  Auric 
dashed  inside,  the  one  and  only  thing  for  him  to  do 
presented  itself.    Not  a  second  was  wasted.    It  is  by 


Outwitted  185 

such  quick  wit  and  readiness  of  resource  that  one 
pioneer  has  saved  his  Hfe,  and  by  tardiness  in  avail- 
ing himself  of  the  single  means  of  escape  another  has 
lost  it. 

It  must  have  been  soon  after  the  failure  of  his  threat 
to  bring  an  answer  that  Wag-ma- rah  suspected  the 
truth.  He  knew  of  the  sUght  delay  in  surrounding 
the  building,  but  it  was  reasonable  for  him  to  think 
the  youths  would  wait  before  using  the  chance  offered. 

The  cabin  had  two  sides  without  windows.  The 
stone  chimney  was  wholly  on  the  outside  and  could 
be  approached  without  risk.  Wag-ma- rah  and  a 
companion,  who  shared  his  suspicions,  rose  from  the 
grass  and  stealthily  walked  to  the  pile  of  irregular 
stones.  Applying  their  ears  to  the  material,  they 
Hstened.  Not  the  least  sound  was  heard  from  within. 
Other  warriors  joined  them,  and  the  behef  was  general 
that  the  couple  had  escaped.  Still  the  leaders  held 
back  from  exposing  themselves  to  the  serious  results 
of  a  mistake  on  their  part. 

But  one  of  their  number  was  more  plucky  than  the 
rest.  He  suddenly  whisked  about  the  end  of  the  cabin 
and  dashed  through  the  door.  It  took  but  a  minute 
to  learn  the  truth.  The  building  was  empty  of  all 
Hving  persons  except  himself. 

Meanwhile,  Auric  and  Jethro  were  improving  the 
advantage  they  had  gained  through  the  woodcraft 
of  the  youthful  visitor  from  Fort  Wayne.    It  was  to 


1 86  Black  Partridge 

be  expected  that,  sooner  or  later,  the  Winnebagoes 
would  discover  the  trick  played  upon  them.  They 
were  not  likely  to  cease  their  efforts  against  the  lads 
until  they  had  tried  further  to  outwit  them. 

"It  will  be  well  to  get  a  little  farther  from  the  cabin, 
before  we  set  out  to  find  our  canoe,"  suggested  Auric. 

"We  are  so  near  the  woods  that  we  can  make  use 
of  them." 

"I  was  thinking  of  that." 

With  as  much  caution  as  if  they  were  within  a  few 
rods  of  the  Winnebagoes,  the  boys  stole  through  the 
grass,  and  a  few  minutes  later  reached  the  edge  of 
the  forest  which  stretched  endless  miles  to  the  north 
and  west.  Being  comparatively  free  from  under- 
growth, they  had  no  trouble  in  passing  the  short  dis- 
tance to  the  edge  of  the  river,  down  whose  bank  they 
started  in  quest  of  their  boat.  Before  leaving  the 
shadow  of  the  trees  the  two  stopped  for  a  hasty  con- 
sultation. 

"I  would  give  a  good  deal  to  understand  all  these 
goings  on  to-night,"  said  Auric;  "it  looks  pretty  cer- 
tain that  the  Indians  chose  the  Bums  cabin  because 
it  is  a  handy  place  to  meet." 

"There  must  have  been  a  sudden  quarrel,  such  as 
you  know  often  breaks  out  when  a  lot  of  red  men 
meet  in  council ;  some  fancy  led  them  to  put  the  victim 
inside  the  house." 

"I  don't  care  about  that,  but  what  made  that  party 


Outwitted  187 

come  back  to  the  cabin,  after  we  had  seen  them  well 
started  on  their  way  to  the  Fort?" 

"We  are  not  sure  it  is  the  same  party." 

"Yes,  we  are;  didn't  you  recognize  the  voice  of 
Wag-ma-rah,  when  he  shouted  that  he  would  bum 
the  cabin  unless  we  surrendered?  He  must  have 
said  something  before,  that  he  thought  we  had  heard, 
but  we  were  too  far  off  to  catch  it." 

"I  heard  the  voice,  but  did  not  think  it  was  his; 
are  you  sure?" 

"I  can't  mistake  the  music  of  his  tones." 

"  That  shows,  then,  it  was  the  same  party,  or  some  of 
them  at  least;  I  suspect  their  return  had  something 
to  do  with  the  dead  warrior  in  the  cabin;  but  what's 
the  use  of  bothering  over  a  matter  of  that  kind.  Auric  ? 
It's  time  we  were  at  home  with  our  report." 

The  youths  had  a  considerable  distance  to  travel  to 
reach  the  spot  where  they  had  drawn  their  canoe  up 
the  bank  among  the  tall  grass.  The  liabihty  of  again 
meeting  the  Winnebagoes,  whose  conduct  was  so 
eccentric  that  evening,  caused  the  lads  to  use  extreme 
care.  They  kept  close  to  the  stream,  with  the  former 
a  few  paces  in  advance.  Their  plan  was  to  steal  for- 
ward for  two  or  three  rods,  their  shoulders  bent  so 
low  that  no  one  could  have  seen  them  a  few  paces 
away.  Then  young  Kingdon  would  halt,  his  friend 
instantly  doing  the  same,  take  off  his  cap  and  slowly 
raise  his  head  until  he  could  peer  over  the  top  of  the 


1 88  Black  Partridge 

grass.  He  took  pains  not  to  lift  his  head  an  inch  too 
high,  and  he  made  his  survey  complete.  All  being 
clear,  the  advance  was  resumed  as  before. 

In  due  time  they  reached  a  point  where  once  more 
they  could  plainly  see  the  front  of  the  Bums  cabin. 
Both  partly  straightened  up  to  get  the  best  view  pos- 
sible of  it.  There  was  the  entrance  through  which 
they  had  made  their  way  in  such  haste,  with  a  narrow 
smashed  window  on  either  side,  but  not  a  glimpse 
was  caught  of  an  Indian. 

What  had  become  of  the  party  ?  Had  they  returned 
to  Fort  Dearborn  by  another  route,  or  were  they 
still  lingering  near  the  cabin? 

If  they  took  the  same  course  in  leaving  as  before, 
they  must  come  near  our  young  friends,  who  hesitated 
for  some  time  whether  to  push  on  or  wait  till  they 
could  gain  more  definite  knowledge.  On  the  advice 
of  Jethro  they  kept  their  position  for  nearly  a  half 
hour. 

The  relative  location  of  the  cabin  and  stream  told 
them  when  they  were  close  to  the  place  where  they 
had  hidden  their  canoe.  A  final  pause  was  made, 
and  each  studied  every  part  of  their  field  of  vision 
with  the  closest  possible  scrutiny.  The  result  was  as 
before. 

Auric,  still  in  advance,  threaded  his  way  for  a  few 
yards,  when,  without  raising  his  head,  he  checked  him- 
self and,  turning,  asked  in  a  guarded  voice: 


Outwitted  189 

"Do  you  notice  it?" 

"Notice  what?" 

"Somebody  is  smoking  near  us." 

Jethro  softly  sniffed  and  caught  the  faint  but  pun- 
gent odor  of  tobacco. 

"Wait  a  minute,"  added  Auric,  who  moved  as 
silently  as  a  serpent  through  the  grass.  Jethro  waited 
with  his  eyes  on  the  spot  where  he  had  disappeared, 
and  admired  the  skill  of  his  comrade,  who  was  absent 
only  a  few  minutes. 

"What  do  you  think,  Jet?  The  scamp  is  sitting 
in  our  boat  and  smoking  his  pipe,  while  he  waits  for 
us  to  come  to  him." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

AMONG  THE  SHADOWS 

This  was  news  indeed.  The  first  inclination  of 
Jethro  was  to  smile  at  the  mental  picture  of  an  Indian 
warrior  sitting  in  their  canoe,  coolly  smoking  his  pipe 
and  waiting  for  them  to  come  to  him.  He  must  have 
had  a  poor  opinion  of  the  woodcraft  of  the  youths 
to  think  they  would  not  be  warned  by  the  odor  of 
tobacco. 

When  Auric  came  back  to  his  friend,  they  were 
beyond  sight  of  the  boat,  though  still  so  near  that 
they  spoke  in  the  most  guarded  whispers  and  avoided 
any  movement  that  could  betray  them  to  the  redskin 
whose  hearing  and  vision  were  trained  to  the  highest 
point. 

"Did  you  get  a  look  at  his  face?" 

"No;  he  is  sitting  with  his  back  this  way;  he  or 
some  one  has  shoved  the  canoe  into  the  water,  so  that 
it  would  float  off,  but  for  his  weight  holding  down  the 
prow." 

"I  must  have  a  squint  at  the  fellow;  Hke  about  every- 
thing else  we  have  seen  to-night,  I  can't  understand 
what  it  means;  maybe  other  Indians  are  close  by." 
190 


The  Boys  and  Black  Partridge 


Page  190 


Among  the  Shadows  191 

"It  doesn't  look  that  way;  be  careful." 

This  time  Jethro  took  the  lead.  The  passage  of 
Auric  had  pressed  down  the  grass  sufficiently  to  leave 
a  trail,  and  the  lad  had  not  far  to  go  when,  by  gently 
parting  the  blades  in  front  of  his  face,  he  saw  the  pic- 
ture that  had  been  described  to  him. 

An  Indian  warrior  was  seated  in  the  front  of  their 
canoe,  his  face  turned  from  them,  while  he  slowly 
puffed  his  pipe.  He  was  as  motionless  as  a  statue. 
Instead  of  sitting  on  the  gunwale  of  the  frail  craft  he 
rested  on  the  bottom,  so  that  all  below  the  upper  part 
of  his  body  was  shut  from  view.  The  stem  of  his 
pipe  was  so  long  that  the  bowl  must  have  been  between 
or  below  his  knees.  Every  few  seconds  a  small  but 
thick  roll  of  vapor  climbed  over  one  shoulder,  as  he 
expelled  it  from  his  mouth.  It  was  as  if  he  were  sunk 
in  deep  meditation  without  any  thought  or  care  of 
what  was  going  on  around  him.  Such,  however,  is 
never  the  mental  state  of  an  Indian.  He  may  be 
thinking  deeply,  but  is  always  on  the  alert  and  rouses 
like  a  flash  at  the  least  disturbance. 

The  lads  secured  a  position  side  by  side,  one  gain- 
ing as  good  a  view  as  the  other.  Jethro  was  anxious 
to  see  the  warrior's  face,  but  could  not  do  so,  unless 
he  turned  his  head.  The  youth  had  a  fancy  that  he 
was  an  acquaintance,  but  he  did  not  mean  to  take 
any   chances. 

That  which  both  wished  for  was  granted  a  minute 


192  Black  Partridge 

later.  The  Pottawatomie,  as  they  observed  him  to  be, 
filled  his  mouth,  turned  his  face  at  right  angles  and 
sent  out  the  smoke  in  a  series  of  rings,  which  doubled 
over  one  another,  after  the  fashion  of  many  a  smoker 
in  these  days. 

The  action  revealed  the  profile  of  the  Indian,  and 
with  an  astonishment  which  may  be  imagined  the 
boys  recognized  him  as  the  chieftain  Black  Partridge. 
Jethro  in  his  pleasure  would  have  pronounced  the 
Pottawatomie's  name,  had  not  his  companion  warned 
him  by  a  touch  and  shake  of  his  head  not  to  do  so. 

Then  the  two  retreated  with  the  utmost  stealth 
until  they  were  farther  from  the  spot  than  when  they 
parted  company  a  few  minutes  before. 

"Why  didn't  you  want  me  to  speak  to  him?"  asked 
Jethro. 

"We  don't  know  whether  Black  Partridge  is  an 
enemy  or  friend." 

"Hasn't  he  always  been  a  friend?" 

"So  have  many  of  his  tribe  who  are  yearning  to 
scalp  every  one  of  us;  he  may  still  be  friendly,  but 
what  is  he  doing  in  our  canoe?" 

"It  looks  as  if  he  were  waiting  for  us  to  join  him." 

"That  may  be,  but,  yet,  I  don't  like  seeing  him  so 
near  that  party  who  tried  to  trap  us  in  the  Bums 
cabin;  it  looks  very  much  as  if  he  belongs  to  the  same 
company;  if  I'm  not  mistaken  he  has  painted  his 
face." 


Among  the  Shadows  193 

"That  is  true;  I  saw  several  rings  on  his  cheeks 
and  temples." 

"He  was  one  of  the  Pottawatomies  who  came  out 
to  the  cabin  to  form  some  plot  that  we  shall  learn 
about  before  we  are  many  days  older;  he  could  not 
but  have  known  of  our  row  with  the  Winnebagoes; 
perhaps  he  didn't  care  about  lifting  our  scalps  him- 
self, but  was  willing  to  sit  by  while  others  did  it  — " 

Jethro  touched  the  arm  of  his  companion,  who  at 
that  moment  was  not  gazing  in  the  same  direction 
with  himself.  The  former  was  looking  toward  the 
spot  where  the  canoe  lay,  when  a  phantom  seemed  to 
assume  form  among  the  drooping  blades  of  grass. 
No  noise  was  heard,  but  the  next  instant  Black  Par- 
tridge stood  before  them.  His  subtle  woodcraft  had 
warned  him  of  the  presence  of  the  youths,  and  he 
made  his  way  to  where  they  were  crouching. 

The  chief  had  laid  aside  his  pipe,  and  carried  his 
rifle  in  one  hand.  His  face,  revealed  in  the  moon- 
light, was  seen  to  be  painted  more  hideously  than 
they  had  supposed  from  the  partial  view  gained.  As 
he  caught  sight  of  the  youths,  he  paused  and  looked 
down  on  them  without  speaking.  Jethro  straightened 
up. 

"I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  Black  Partridge." 

"What  you  do  here?"  he  asked  in  a  displeased 
voice;  "why  so  far  from  Fort?" 

"There  are  bad  Indians  around  the  Fort;  some  of 


194  Black  Partridge 

them  went  out  to  the  Bums  house  to  meet  other  bad 
Indians;  we  followed  to  learn  what  we  could  about 
them." 

This  answer  was  made  in  English  by  Auric. 

"What  you  learn?"  asked  the  Pottawatomie,  crisply. 

"Precious  little;  they  were  through  their  meeting 
before  we  got  there;  we  went  into  the  cabin  and  stum- 
bled over  the  dead  body  of  a  Winnebago;  then,  when 
we  started  to  leave,  the  party  came  back  and  we  dodged 
back  into  the  house." 

That  the  chieftain  was  interested  in  this  narrative 
was  shown  by  his  question,  which  came  quickly. 

"How  did  you  get  out?" 

"Well,  we  weren't  more  than  fairly  inside,  when 
we  slipped  out  again;  we  knew  they  would  lose  little 
time  in  surrounding  the  place,  and  we  left  before  they 
could  do  so." 

The  sachem  admired  cleverness  of  that  nature 
more  than  any  other  quality.  Looking  into  the  faces 
of  the  youths  he  said  in  a  low  voice: 

"Much  smart  —  know  much  —  beat  any  men." 

"We  are  thankful  for  your  good  opinion,  Black 
Partridge,"  replied  Auric,  who  knew  that  such  a  liking 
in  the  circumstances  meant  a  good  deal  more  than 
one  would  suppose. 

"My  sons  are  big  fools,"  remarked  the  chieftain, 
whipping  into  his  own  tongue;  "they  are  the  biggest 
fools  in  the  world." 


Among  the  Shadows  195 

"Now  you  make  our  hearts  heavy,"  replied  Auric, 
assuming  more  depression  than  he  felt. 

"Why  did  you  come  up  the  river?" 

The  youth  was  too  prudent  to  say  it  was  at  the 
suggestion  of  Mr.  Kinzie;  for  the  relations  between 
him  and  the  chief  were  too  delicate  to  stand  further 
straining. 

"We  know  that  many  evil  Indians  have  come  among 
the  Pottawatomies  and  Winnebagoes ;  we  do  not  know 
what  they  are  doing,  but,  as  I  said,  we  wished  to 
learn." 

"And  did  my  son  find  what  he  sought?" 

"Only  what  I  have  already  told  you,  which  I  admit 
doesn't  amount  to  anything," 

Auric  hastily  translated  the  words,  as  they  were 
spoken,  to  his  friend,  who  thus  kept  even  with  the  con- 
versation. Jethro  wished  to  suggest  a  question  or 
two,  but  hesitated.  Whatever  he  said  to  Auric  would 
be  understood  by  Black  Partridge,  who  might  have 
resented  the  interference.  Therefore,  the  youth  held 
his  peace. 

As  for  Auric,  he  was  curious  as  to  the  meaning  of 
what  had  taken  place  and  he  hoped  that  the  chieftain 
would  explain.  Since  he  did  not,  the  youth  feared  to 
offend  him  by  his  inquiries. 

The  curious  situation  now  came  of  no  member 
of  the  little  party  uttering  a  word  for  several  minutes. 
Auric  had  made  his  reply  to  the  question  of  Black 


196  Black  Partridge 

Partridge,  and  he  and  his  companion  waited  for  him 
to  speak  again.  All  three  were  standing  in  the  grass, 
with  the  calmly  flowing  stream  on  one  hand  and  the 
swampy  plain  on  the  other.  The  boys,  as  well  as 
the  sachem,  kept  glancing  in  different  directions,  but 
none  saw  anything  of  moment. 

The  Pottawatomie  was  debating  some  question 
with  himself.  What  it  was  could  not  be  guessed  by 
the  lads,  who  patiently  waited  for  him  to  speak. 
He  looked  toward  the  cabin  where  everything  was  as 
quiescent  as  on  the  day  following  the  tragedy  months 
before;  then  he  gazed  ofif  over  the  sluggish  river,  but 
neither  moved  nor  opened  his  lips. 

If  the  sachem  was  considering  whether  he  should 
make  some  revelation  to  his  young  friends,  he  decided 
in  the  negative.  Still  silent,  he  stooped  slightly, 
seized  the  canoe  by  the  gunwale  and  shoved  it  farther 
into  the  water. 

"Get  in;  we  go  back." 

When  the  craft  was  balanced,  the  chief  placed  him- 
self in  the  stem,  with  Auric  just  in  front,  while  Jethro 
again  took  up  the  paddle.  Thus  the  three  faced  the 
course  of  the  boat.  The  lad  swayed  the  blade  with 
deliberation,  though  ready  to  increase  or  diminish 
the  speed  at  the  will  of  Black  Partridge.  The  chief 
remained  silent. 

It  was  true,  as  has  been  said,  that  our  young  friends 
had  wholly  failed  in  gathering  any  knowledge  of  the 


Among  the  Shadows  197 

peculiar  plotting  on  foot  at  the  Bums  cabin.  In  the 
effort  to  find  out  something,  both  met  with  one  of  the 
narrowest  escapes  of  their  hves.  But  the  puzzling 
question  in  the  mind  of  each  was  as  to  the  part  the 
Pottawatomie  leader  was  playing  in  this  business. 
With  all  the  sagacity  of  these  youths  trained  in  wood- 
craft and  the  ways  of  the  frontier,  they  found  the 
question  a  hard  one  to  answer;  and  yet  it  was  another 
striking  proof  of  their  shrewdness  and  brilliancy  that 
each,  without  speaking  to  the  other,  formed  the  same 
theories,  and  the  truth  is  still  more  remarkable  that  the 
two  were  substantially  correct. 

Black  Partridge  was  halting  between  two  opinions. 
The  situation  of  no  one  at  Fort  Dearborn  was  more 
delicate  than  his.  He  wished  to  be  friendly  with  the 
whites,  but  was  angered  because  of  the  destruction 
of  the  whiskey.  While  this  of  itself  would  not  have 
changed  his  sentiments,  it  had  something  to  do  with 
such  change.  The  difficulty  was  that,  as  he  had  told 
Captain  Heald,  his  warriors  were  passing,  if  they  had 
not  already  passed,  beyond  his  control.  If  he  should 
resolutely  set  himself  against  them,  he  would  be  swept 
aside.  His  natural  impulses  drew  him  toward  these 
turbulent  miscreants,  but  the  memory  of  that  medal, 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  valuable  favors  done  him  in 
the  past  by  the  Americans,  with  the  others  that  were 
sure  to  follow,  held  him  in  doubt.  His  position  may 
be  summed  up  in  the  statement  that  Black  Partridge 


198  Black  Partridge 

was  anxious  to  save  a  few  people  at  Fort  Dearborn, 
but  was  perfectly  willing  to  see  the  large  majority 
of  them  massacred.  He  wished  no  harm  to  come  to 
Mr.  Kinzie  or  any  member  of  his  family,  he  felt 
friendly  toward  Auric  Kingdon  and  Jethro  Judd,  and 
would  do  more  to  save  them  than  to  save  any  one  else. 
Learning  of  the  rash  venture  of  the  youths,  and  sus- 
pecting their  errand,  he  had  tramped  after  them,  in 
order  to  protect  them  from  the  penalty  of  their  own 
foolishness.  Well  aware  of  the  meeting  of  the  plotters 
at  the  Bums  cabin,  he  took  no  part  therein.  He 
knew  of  the  vicious  quarrel  that  had  broken  out  and 
of  its  consequences.  Still  he  remained  on  the  river 
shore,  awaiting  the  moment  when  it  should  be  neces- 
sary for  him  to  stretch  his  authority  to  the  breaking 
point  in  order  to  keep  the  scalps  of  the  young  Ameri- 
cans on  their  crowns. 

From  where  Black  Partridge  sat  he  saw  the  flight 
of  the  boys  into  the  cabin,  upon  meeting  the  returning 
Winnebagoes.  Believing  them  at  bay,  he  felt  there 
was  no  call  for  haste  on  his  part.  So,  accidentally 
coming  upon  their  canoe,  he  lit  his  pipe  and  coolly 
sat  down  to  await  the  run  of  events.  It  would  take 
some  time  for  the  Winnebagoes  to  bring  the  youths 
to  terms,  for  he  understood  his  countrymen  well 
enough  to  be  assured  that,  large  as  was  their  party, 
they  would  make  no  attempt  to  rush  the  defenders. 
Seated   thus,    calmly   meditating   and    quite   content 


Among  the  Shadows  199 

with  the  situation,  the  surprise  of  the  evening  came 
with  the  return  of  Auric  and  Jethro  to  the  spot  where 
they  had  left  their  canoe.  Their  exploit  was  so  bril- 
liant that  the  grim  chief  did  not  withhold  his  admira- 
tion, though  so  displeased  with  the  whole  venture  on 
the  part  of  the  lads,  that  he  called  them  fools  for 
having  left  their  home  that  night. 

The  theory  of  the  two  regarding  the  return  of  the 
Winnebagoes  was  that  the  warrior  who  had  been 
slain  and  left  in  the  cabin  was  a  chief  or  prominent 
leader,  and  that  the  sachem  in  command  of  the  party 
decided  that  it  would  not  do  to  abandon  him  in  that 
fashion.  He  had,  therefore,  brought  back  his  war- 
riors for  the  purpose  of  paying  proper  respect  to  the 
fallen  one,  by  removing  and  giving  it  burial  after  the 
Indian  fashion. 

Whether  or  not  this  supposition  was  correct,  our 
young  friends  were  never  able  to  learn,  and  the  matter 
was  really  of  no  special  importance. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

TWO   OLD   FRIENDS 

The  distance  between  the  Bums  cabin  and  the 
home  of  the  trader  Kinzie  was  about  half  a  mile. 
From  the  moment  the  canoe  began  its  progress,  Black 
Partridge  did  not  speak  until  a  little  more  than  half 
the  space  had  been  passed.  Jethro  Judd  swung  the 
paddle  with  machine-like  evenness,  glancing  from 
one  shore  to  the  other,  and,  like  his  companion,  won- 
dering whether  an  interruption  was  likely  to  come. 

By  and  by  the  occupants  of  the  craft  began  to  catch 
glimpses  of  warriors  moving  here  and  there.  Some- 
times they  saw  a  single  redskin,  then  couples,  and  once 
they  observed  three  who  paused  and  surveyed  the 
boat,  but  did  not  speak  or  make  any  demonstration. 
Jethro  kept  well  off  shore,  for  the  moon  was  now  so 
nearly  overhead  that  no  shadow  offered  protection, 
had  anything  of  the  kind  been  desired. 

Suddenly,  in  rounding  a  slight  bend  in  the  stream, 
they  came  in  sight  of  a  group  of  nearly  a  score,  who 
were  gathered  near  the  shore,  with  the  lights  of  the 
fort  twinkling  a  little  way  beyond.  Auric  could  not 
avoid  asking  Black  Partridge  in  his  own  tongue: 


Two  Old  Friends  201 

"Are  they  the  Indians  who  were  at  the  Burns 
house?" 

"They  are;  most  of  them  are  Winnebagoes,  but  there 
are  Pottawatomies  among  them." 

Auric  interpreted  the  reply  to  Jethro,  adding  in  a 
whisper: 

"It  looks  as  if  we're  going  to  have  trouble." 

"Ask  Black  Partridge  whether  I  shall  put  farther 
out  in  the  stream  and  paddle  faster." 

The  chief  understood  the  question  and  said: 

"Go  ashore  on  the  same  side." 

It  was  a  startling  command,  but  the  youth  did 
not  dare  disobey.  Here  were  the  warriors  who  had 
fiercely  sought  their  ^  lives  a  short  time  before.  In- 
stead of  fleeing  from  them,  the  two  must  place  them- 
selves in  their  power.  Everything  now  depended 
upon  the  Pottawatomie  chieftain,  and  neither  of  our 
young  friends  ever  understood  the  frightfully  delicate 
situation,  which  instantly  assumed  form  and  lasted 
for  some  minutes. 

The  moment  the  canoe  touched  the  muddy  bank 
the  sachem  stepped  ashore. 

"Let  my  children  go  to  their  home  and  stay  there  1^'' 

Having  given  his  order.  Black  Partridge  turned 
his  whole  attention  to  the  warriors  whom  he  had 
joined.  Repressing  all  signs  of  fear,  Jethro  Judd 
propelled  the  boat  out  into  the  stream  and  resumed 
his  progress  toward  home. 


202  Black  Partridge 

How  he  longed  to  drive  the  craft  as  close  as  he 
could  to  the  farther  bank  and  then  speed  it  forward 
with  all  his  power!  There  was  no  saying  what  devilish 
whim  would  seize  the  redskins  on  the  other  bank. 
They  were  still  far  enough  from  the  fort  to  feel  safe 
in  doing  as  they  chose,  and  their  maUgnancy  had 
been  shown  only  a  Httle  while  before. 

"Don't  you  do  it,  Jet,"  said  Auric,  reading  the 
thoughts  in  the  mind  of  his  comrade;  "I  wish  we 
were  at  home,  but  any  haste  in  getting  there  will 
tempt  them  to  fire  upon  us;  take  it  easy,  old  fellow." 

"It's  mighty  hard,  for  I  don't  believe  Black  Partridge 
can  restrain  them." 

"  You  might  put  a  little  more  power  in  the  paddle, 
but  not  enough  for  them  to  notice." 

Jethro  shied  the  craft  further  over,  and  increased 
its  speed  somewhat,  but  restrained  himself  from 
showing  any  panic. 

Meanwhile,  the  Pottawatomie  chieftain  had  his 
hands  full.  Although  he  was  accepted  as  the  most 
prominent  leader  among  the  Indians  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Fort  Dearborn,  he  spoke  the  truth  when  he 
told  Captain  Heald  that  the  younger  warriors  were 
passing  beyond  his  control.  Most  of  the  group  were 
not  members  of  his  own  tribe,  and  they  could  claim 
excuse  for  refusing  to  obey  his  orders. 

The  first  thing  Black  Partridge  did  upon  joining 
the  party  was  to  remark  that  the  two  lads  were  his 


Two  Old  Friends  203 

friends,  and  he  meant  to  save  them  from  harm  until 
the  morrow.  What  then  took  place  he  did  not  care, 
but  he  would  not  allow  them  to  be  killed  before  that 
time.  This  was  spoken  with  a  deadly  earnestness 
that  had  its  effect,  and  yet  it  must  have  failed  but  for 
the  terrifying  incident  which  immediately  followed. 

The  declaration  was  accepted  by  all  the  party  with 
a  single  exception.  A  tall,  sinewy  buck  burst  forth 
with  an  angry  exclamation,  saying  these  youths  had 
followed  them  to  the  Bums  house  and  learned  of  what 
was  said  there  by  the  Indians,  some  of  whom  had 
come  from  a  long  distance.  Their  plot  would  be  be- 
trayed by  the  two,  if  they  were  allowed  to  live. 

The  chief  sternly  said  this  was  untrue,  for  the  lads 
did  not  go  to  the  cabin  until  after  the  council  was  over. 
His  disputant  reminded  the  chieftain  that  one  of  them 
could  speak  their  tongue  as  well  as  themselves,  and 
he  must  have  overheard,  while  hiding,  some  of  the 
words  that  had  been  spoken  by  the  members  of  the 
party.  It  needed  only  an  expression  or  two  thus  to 
enlighten  him  as  to  the  whole  scheme  that  was  on  foot. 

The  singular  feature  of  this  hot  dispute  was  that 
the  warrior  who  dared  thus  to  beard  the  lion  to  his 
face  was  a  member  of  his  own  tribe.  The  others 
had  been  awed  by  the  words  and  manner  of  the  Pot- 
tawatomie, and  Hstened  stolidly  to  the  conversation 
which  was  fast  reaching  the  exploding  point. 

Black  Partridge  virtually  called  his  warrior  a  liar. 


204  Black  Partridge 

The  latter  was  so  enraged  by  the  epithet  that  he  raised 
his  rifle  and  pointed  it  at  the  canoe,  which  had  not 
yet  passed  out  of  range.  Before  he  could  aim,  Black 
Partridge  whipped  out  his  tomahawk  and,  with  the 
quickness  of  lightning,  sank  the  blade  into  the  crown 
of  the  rebel,  cleaving  the  skull  as  if  it  were  a  rotten 
apple ! 

The  victim  sank  to  the  ground  without  so  much  as 
a  groan.  Holding  the  dripping  implement  in  his  rigid 
right  hand,  the  infuriated  chieftain  faced  the  party, 
defying  them,  by  his  looks  and  manner,  to  take  up  the 
cause  of  his  presumptuous  subject. 

Angry  as  the  warriors  may  have  been,  they  were 
cowed  by  the  terrible  sachem,  and  not  one  of  them 
uttered  a  word  of  protest.  Scorning  with  his  mocca- 
sin the  form  stretched  at  his  feet,  the  Pottawatomie 
leader  turned  his  back  upon  the  group,  and  stalked 
in  the  direction  of  the  Indian  lodges  to  the  eastward 
of  the  fort. 

In  his  tempestuous  wrath  he  made  sure,  before  doing 
this,  that  the  canoe  had  passed  beyond  range  of  the 
warriors  whom  he  left  behind.  He  moved  slowly,  for 
he  was  ready  to  interfere  again  should  it  become 
necessary,  but  he  was  confident  the  call  would  not 
arise,  as  it  did  not. 

Black  Partridge  did  not  halt  among  the  lodges  of 
his  people.  Most  of  them  were  moving  to  and  fro, 
smoking,   talking,   and   discussing  the  plans  for  the 


Two  Old  Friends  205 

outbreak  which  all  agreed  among  themselves  would 
come  with  the  morrow.  The  heat  of  the  evening, 
and  the  pestering  mosquitoes,  caused  many  of  the 
warriors  and  squaws  to  refrain  from  lying  down,  as 
they  would  have  done  had  the  circumstances  been 
different. 

At  the  moment  the  chieftain  reached  the  farther 
edge  of  the  camp,  and  was  close  to  the  forest,  he 
heard  the  reports  of  two  guns,  fired  in  such  quick 
succession  that  the  interval  was  barely  noticeable. 
The  sound  came  from  a  point  a  third  of  a  mile  away, 
in  the  direction  of  the  Fort  Wayne  trail.  The  Pot- 
tawatomie instantly  checked  his  walk  and  listened. 

No  more  than  two  or  three  minutes  passed,  when 
the  same  double  report  came  again  through  the  woods. 
It  was  as  if  two  men,  having  discharged  their  weapons, 
had  taken  just  enough  time  to  reload  and  fire  them 
again.  The  echoes  of  the  reports  had  hardly  died 
away  on  the  sultry  air,  when  Black  Partridge  strode 
over  the  trail  at  a  more  rapid  pace  than  he  had  used 
that  evening.  The  peculiar  sounds  were  signals 
intended  for  his  ears,  and  he  knew  from  whom  they 
came. 

The  trail  leading  southward  was  so  well  marked 
that  any  one  could  have  followed  it  by  the  light  of  the 
moon;  but  Black  Partridge  was  so  famihar  with  its 
turnings  that  he  would  have  had  no  trouble  in  trav- 
ersing it  on  the  darkest  night.     The  call  which  thus 


2o6  Black  Partridge 

drew  him  forth  was  not  repeated,  nor  did  he  expect  it 
to  be.  Where  the  respective  parties  were  concerned, 
such  repetition  was  superfluous. 

When  quite  near  the  spot  whence  the  signal  had 
come,  the  Pottawatomie  halted  under  the  shadow  of 
the  overhanging  trees  and  uttered  a  cry  that  was  a 
perfect  imitation  of  the  hooting  of  an  owl.  That  it 
was  expected  was  proved  by  a  similar  response  within 
the  next  few  seconds.  The  signalling  had  been  com- 
pleted, and  the  chieftain  calmly  awaited  the  coming 
of  the  other,  who  was  only  a  short  distance  away. 

At  the  particular  spot  where  the  Pottawatomie  had 
paused  he  could  see  only  a  short  distance  ahead, 
because  of  the  arching  trees,  but  the  moonbeams 
found  their  way  sufl5ciently  through  the  foliage  for 
him  to  catch  sight  of  a  tall,  sinewy  figure  that  soon 
appeared,  coming  from  the  other  direction.  He 
advanced  without  the  least  hesitation,  like  one  who 
has  not  the  slightest  misgiving  of  what  is  before  him. 
When  he  caught  sight  of  the  chieftain,  he  called  out: 

"Helloa,  Black  Partridge!  I'm  powerful  glad  to 
see  you!" 

A  moment  later  the  two  clasped  hands  Hke  old 
friends,  met  after  a  long  separation.  The  newcomer 
was  a  white  man,  dressed  in  the  garb  of  the  border, 
but,  as  proof  of  his  confidence  in  the  honor  of  the 
Pottawatomie,  he  did  not  bring  his  rifle  with  hirn. 
One  glance  at  him  in  the  imperfect  moonlight  would 


Two  Old  Friends  207 

have  shown  that  he  possessed  prodigious  strength 
and  the  activity  of  a  panther.  In  short,  the  man  was 
one  of  the  most  famous  frontiersmen  of  a  century 
ago,  being  Captain  Wells,  whose  exploits  form  a  part 
of  the  thrilling  history  of  the  West.  He  was  an  uncle 
of  Mrs.  Rebecca  Heald,  wife  of  the  commandant  of 
Fort  Dearborn.  News  had  reached  him  at  Fort 
Wayne  of  the  imminent  danger  of  the  advanced 
western  post,  and  he  set  out  at  once  to  give  what  help 
he  could.  He  gathered  about  a  score  of  Miami  war- 
riors, to  whom  he  explained  the  situation  and  offered 
large  pay  for  their  assistance  in  escorting  the  garrison 
and  their  families  to  Fort  Wayne.  Captain  Wells 
was  mounted  on  an  excellent  horse,  but  his  Miamis 
were  on  foot. 

Such  an  experienced  scout  and  leader  as  Captain 
Wells  would  never  have  made  this  hurried  journey 
had  he  known  all  the  facts.  The  news  that  came  to 
him  was  that  Captain  Heald,  in  obedience  to  the 
orders  of  General  Hull,  would  soon  evacuate  Fort 
Dearborn  and  start  with  all  his  people  for  Fort  Wayne. 
While  his  company  was  comparatively  strong,  every 
man  that  could  be  added  to  it  would  be  of  immeas- 
urable value.  From  what  was  told  Wells,  he  did  not 
suppose  there  were  more  than  one  or  two  hundred 
Indians  near  Dearborn,  nor  did  he  know  of  their 
indignation  because  of  the  destruction  of  the  whiskey. 
I  repeat  that  had  the  whole  truth  been  clear  to  him 


2o8  Black  Partridge 

he  would  have  stayed  at  home,  for  so  insignificant 
a  force  as  he  led  to  the  assistance  of  the  endangered 
ones  must  be  absolutely  useless:  his  Miamis  would 
simply  prove  so  many  more  victims.  Moreover, 
Uttle  reHance  could  be  placed  upon  their  courage. 

Captain  Wells  knew,  however,  that  there  was  one 
person  at  Fort  Dearborn  upon  whom  he  could  count 
to  tell  him  the  truth.  This  was  Black  Partridge, 
chief  of  the  Pottawatomies.  The  two  had  been  warm 
friends  for  years.  Wells  belonged  to  a  party  who 
once  set  out  to  punish  some  Shawanoes  that  had  killed 
several  settlers.  The  redskins  were  too  fleet  to  be 
overtaken,  but  while  pushing  forward,  the  pursuer 
came  upon  a  half  dozen  Pottawatomies  who  had 
wandered  beyond  their  regular  hunting-grounds  and 
were  made  prisoners  before  they  knew  their  danger. 
Their  leader  was  Black  Partridge,  who  proved  the 
innocence  of  himself  and  his  companions  of  the  out- 
rages referred  to.  The  companions  of  Wells  were 
so  furious  over  what  had  occurred,  and  their  failure 
to  reach  the  marauders,  that  they  insisted  upon  slay- 
ing the  Pottawatomies  on  ''general  principles"  as 
may  be  said.  This  horrible  poHcy,  which,  sad  to  say, 
was  carried  out  more  than  once  on  the  border,  was 
defeated  by  Wells.  His  resolute  stand  and  his  well- 
known  courage  saved  Black  Partridge  and  his  friends 
from  death. 

The  Pottawatomie,  like  most  of  his  race,  remembered 


Two  Old  Friends 


209 


a  kindness  as  long  as  an  injury.  He  and  Wells  met 
several  times  afterwards,  and  there  was  nothing  in 
the  power  of  the  chieftain  which  he  would  not  have 
gladly  done  for  his  white  brother.  They  engaged  in 
several  hunting  excursions,  and  agreed  upon  the 
double  report  of  their  guns  as  a  call  which  nothing 
should  prevent  the  other  from  obeying,  if  it  were  within 
the  compass  of  human  possibiHty. 

From  Black  Partridge,  Captain  Wells  gained  a 
truer  knowledge  of  the  situation  than  was  possessed 
by  Captain  Heald  or  even  the  trader  Kinzie.  The 
Pottawatomie  showed  his  regard  for  his  old  friend 
by  urging  him  to  come  no  nearer  Fort  Dearborn,  but 
to  return  with  his  Miamis  to  Fort  Wayne.  The 
captain  thanked  him  and  replied:  ' 

"I  don't  believe  there  is  any  hope,  but  I  shall  be  in 
at  the  death.  Black  Partridge!" 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  FATEFUL  MORNING 

The  morning  of  the  15th  of  August,  181 2,  dawned 
hot  and  sultry,  Hke  those  that  had  preceded  it  for  more 
than  a  week.  Not  enough  air  was  stirring  to  cause  a 
flutter  in  the  flag  which  drooped  from  the  staff  of  Fort 
Dearborn,  At  an  early  hour  the  waves  of  heat  began 
shimmering  over  forest  and  plain,  indicating  that  the 
day  was  to  be  one  of  the  most  uncomfortable  of  the 
season. 

But  never  was  greater  activity  seen  about  the  old 
frontier  post,  the  end  of  which  was  close  at  hand.  The 
Indians  that  had  camped  on  the  plain  were  stirring 
before  the  first  streakings  of  light  appeared  over  Lake 
Michigan.  Indeed,  many  did  not  lie  down  at  all,  but 
passed  here  and  there,  sometimes  talking  in  low  tones 
together,  or  stalking  forth,  as  if  some  weighty  matter 
was  on  their  minds,  as  indeed  was  the  fact. 

The  same  bustle  reigned  within  the  stockades,  for 
it  was  known  to  every  one  that  Captain  Nathan  Heald, 
the  commandant,  and  his  garrison,  would  evacuate 
the  fort  at  nine  o'clock  that  morning.  The  stores 
had  been  distributed   among  the   covetous  redskins, 


The  Fateful  Morning  211 

and  but  for  the  destruction  of  the  whiskey  their  temper 
would  have  been  much  better.  Yet  it  may  be  doubted 
whether  such  would  have  been  the  case  after  all,  for 
we  all  know  the  devilish  effects  of  alcohol  upon  abo- 
riginal nature.  The  discontent  had  grown  into  hatred, 
and  there  were  few  among  the  soldiers  and  civilians 
who  were  not  aware  that  the  most  terrible  of  perils 
threatened  them. 

Captain  Wells  and  his  twenty  Miamis  marched 
through  the  gate  of  the  fort  early  in  the  morning  and 
reported  to  Captain  Heald,  whose  wife,  as  has  been 
stated,  was  a  niece  of  the  famous  scout.  The  grim 
countenance  of  the  latter  did  not  betray  his  emotions, 
and  when  Mrs.  Heald  came  out  on  the  porch,  em- 
braced and  kissed  the  swarthy  cheek  (it  is  said  by 
some  that  there  was  Indian  blood  in  Wells),  he  smiled 
and  returned  the  caress,  for  she  was  dear  to  him.  In 
reply  to  her  invitation  to  eat,  he  said  he  and  his  Miamis 
had  partaken  of  food  before  coming  to  the  fort.  It 
was  necessary  that  he  should  have  an  understanding 
with  the  captain,  and,  after  a  brief  chat,  he  returned 
to  where  the  commandant  was  giving  directions  to 
his  officers  and  men. 

The  score  of  Miamis  who  had  come  into  the  parade 
ground  were  standing  on  the  western  side,  stolid  and 
grim,  though  everything  that  was  going  on  in  their 
field  of  vision  was  noted  by  them.  Wells  looked  across 
and  beckoned  to  the  leader.    He  walked   the  brief 


212  Black  Partridge 

distance  with  a  certain  dignity,  keeping  his  eyes  all  the 
time  on  the  one  who  had  summoned  him  to  his  side. 

"Captain,  this  is  my  good  friend,  Chief  Iron  Hand; 
he  has  come  with  a  few  of  his  warriors  to  help  escort 
you  to  Fort  Wayne." 

It  was  a  time  when  friends  were  needed,  and  the 
commandant  offered  his  hand  to  the  redskin,  who 
cordially  shook  it. 

"I  am  afraid.  Iron  Hand,  we  shall  need  you  and 
all  your  warriors;  I  wish  we  had  a  few  hundred  more 
of  you." 

The  chieftain  grinned,  for  he  was  pleased  with  the 
flattery. 

"We  'nough,"  he  said  in  broken  English;  "Winne- 
bagoes  dogs  —  cowards  —  we  make  'em  run,  when 
we  turn  and  look  at  them;  Iron  Hand  not  'fraid,  if 
dey  like  leaves  on  the  trees." 

"It  does  me  good  to  hear  you  talk  that  way,"  repUed 
the  pleased  officer;  "we  shall  count  on  you  to  fight  to 
the  last,  if  trouble  does  come." 

"Iron  Hand  do  dat  —  all  his  warriors  do  dat  —  we 
sabe  palefaces  —  none  be  hurt." 

"You  may  if  you  please  go  back  to  your  men," 
said  Captain  Wells,  kindly;  "the  start  will  soon  be 
made;  Captain  Heald  is  to  have  an  escort  of  five  hun- 
dred Pottawatomies,  under  their  chief  Black  Par- 
tridge; the  captain  here  will  show  you  where  you  and 
your  warriors  are  to  march." 


The  Fateful  Morning  213 

The  chieftain,  with  the  same  deUberate,  dignified 
step  returned  to  the  other  side  of  the  parade  ground 
where  the  score  of  Miamis  were  drawn  up  Hke  a  class 
in  school,  awaiting  the  orders  of  their  teacher. 

"What  do  you  think  of  him?"  asked  Wells,  when 
the  chieftain  had  passed  beyond  hearing. 

"He  talks  all  right  and  seems  to  be  a  brave  fellow." 

"I  wouldn't  give  that  for  him,"  said  Wells,  im- 
patiently snapping  his  fingers;  "when  the  trouble 
begins  he  will  be  the  first  to  run." 

"Why  then  did  you  bring  him,  captain?"  asked 
the  commandant. 

"Because  I  did  not  understand  the  situation;  I 
didn't  suppose  there  were  half  as  many  imps  at  Fort 
Dearborn  as  there  are;  Iron  Hand  and  his  warriors 
would  fight  well  enough,  provided  our  force  was 
stronger  than  the  enemy;  he  might  do  well,  if  it  was 
simply  equal,  but  when  the  proportion  is  hke  what  it 
is,  his  heart  is  gone.  Mark  my  words,  captain,  at  the 
first  firing  of  a  gun  the  whole  gang  will  run." 

"You  are  not  very  comforting  in  your  talk,  captain." 

"It's  no  time  to  mince  words;  we  shall  be  attacked 
within  five  miles  of  the  fort  by  the  whole  body  of 
Indians." 

"Black  Partridge  is  their  leader  and  has  always 
been  counted  as  our  friend." 

"He  handed  you  his  medal  and  told  you  he  could 
no  longer  control  his  warriors." 


214  Black  Partridge 

"How  did  you  learn  that?"  asked  the  surprised 
commandant. 

"He  told  me  so;  we  camped  only  a  little  way  from 
here  last  night  and  Black  Partridge  made  me  a  visit." 

"He  is  certainly  a  friend  to  ;yow,"  said  Captain 
Heald,  who  knew  of  the  peculiar  relations  between 
the  two. 

"I  can't  doubt  him;  he  would  risk  his  life  for  me, 
but  he  won't  do  it  for  any  one  else  at  the  fort,  though 
he  is  fond  of  young  Kingdon  and  Judd." 

"What  did  he  tell  you?" 

"He  repeated  what  he  had  said  to  you,  but  gave 
me  a  few  particulars;  the  Pottawatomies  will  go  with 
you  for  a  mile  or  two,  and  then  attack  you;  that  will 
wind  up  the  business,"  added  the  scout  with  a  com- 
pression of  his  lips. 

"My  God,  Wells!"  exclaimed  the  agitated  com- 
mandant; "if  the  whole  thing  is  arranged  as  you  say, 
I  shall  not  surrender  the  fort  at  all;  if  we  must  make 
a  fight  for  it,  we  can  do  better  here  than  anywhere 
else." 

"You  ought  to  have  thought  of  that  before;  it  is  too 
late  now,  for  don't  you  see  the  redskms  are  every- 
where, and  as  soon  as  they  saw  you  had  changed  your 
mind  the  massacre  was  agreed  upon." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  Black  Partridge  said 
to  your  face  that  we  were  to  be  cut  down  and  that  he 
was  going  to  lead  in  the  attack?" 


The  Fateful  Morning  215 

"No;  I  didn't  say  that;  he  promised  me  to  do  all 
he  could  to  check  it." 

"Has  he  any  hope  of  success?" 

"He  professed  to  have,  but  I  don't  beUeve  it." 

It  may  be  said  that  this  answer  decided  the  fate 
of  Fort  Dearborn.  Had  Captain  Heald  known  of  a 
surety  that  the  attack  would  be  made  upon  him  and 
the  garrison  he  would  have  fallen  back  on  the  des- 
perate remedy  named.  He  would  have  used  strategy 
to  get  the  Indians  outside  the  gate  through  which 
they  were  continually  swarming,  and  then,  behind 
the  wooden  walls,  he  would  have  fought  it  out  to  the 
end. 

But  the  words  of  Captain  Wells  rekindled  the  spark 
of  hope  in  his  breast.  There  were  over  half  a  hun- 
dred armed  men,  beside  the  score  of  Miamis;  Black 
Partridge,  the  leader  of  the  Indians,  was  personally 
well  disposed  toward  the  whites.  It  would  seem 
that  here  was  ground  for  hope  of  a  safe  issue  from 
the  troublous  situation.  Captain  Wells,  who  regretted 
the  result  of  his  words,  saw  it  was  too  late  to  recall 
them,  even  had  he  wished  to  do  so;  but  he  was  one  of 
the  most  truthful  of  men,  and  nothing  could  induce 
him  to  say  that  which  he  knew  was  not  the  fact. 

Early  that  morning,  Mr.  Kinzie  sent  his  family  with 
two  domestics  and  two  Indians  in  a  boat,  they  intend- 
ing to  cross  the  lake  of  St.  Joseph.  They  remained 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  however,  throughout  the 


2i6  Black  Partridge 

events  we  are  about  to  relate,  returning  to  their  home 
the  following  day.  We  have,  therefore,  no  further 
concern  with  them. 

The  flag  having  been  lowered,  at  precisely  nine 
o'clock  the  garrison  and  the  few  civilians  passed  out 
of  the  gate,  with  their  destination  Fort  Wayne,  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  away  through  the  wilderness. 
The  band,  consisting  of  two  shrill  fifes  and  a  drum, 
struck  up  the  doleful  "From  the  Dead  March  in 
Saul,"  which,  to  say  the  least,  was  not  calculated  to 
raise  the  spirits  of  those  who  already  beheved  they 
were  marching  to  their  doom. 

Captain  Heald  and  his  wife  rode  side  by  side  on 
horseback,  as  did  Lieutenant  Helm  and  his  wife.  It 
should  be  added  that  Mrs.  Heald  was  an  excellent 
rifle  shot,  and  carried  a  weapon  with  her.  Mrs. 
Helm  had  no  gun,  but  personally  she  was  as  brave  as 
her  friend.  Behind  the  leaders  rode  Auric  Kingdon 
and  Jethro  Judd,  both  well  mounted  and  prepared, 
so  far  as  they  could  be  prepared,  for  the  peril  closing 
round  them.  In  advance  of  this  party  were  the  mem- 
bers of  the  garrison,  keeping  step,  grim  and  deter- 
mined, and  in  front  of  them  were  the  Miamis.  The 
Pottawatomies  straggled  at  the  rear  of  the  several 
wagons,  but  those  whom  they  were  escorting  would 
have  been  glad  to  dispense  with  their  company  alto- 
gether. Captain  Wells  rode  to  and  fro,  alert  and 
watching  everything.     Sometimes  he  galloped  a  little 


The  Fateful  Morning  217 

way  in  advance,  then  wheeled  and  returned,  passed 
in  front  and  alongside  of  the  turbulent  escort  at  the 
rear,  closely  noting  the  signs.  His  interest  lay  in 
this  hideous  horde,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  in  war 
paint,  straggling  unevenly  forward,  uttering  ugly 
threats,  and  becoming  more  demonstrative  every 
minute. 

Captain  Wells  was  puzzled  over  what  had  become 
of  his  friend  Black  Partridge.  He  ought  to  have 
been  among,  or  rather  at  the  head  of  his  Pottawatomies, 
but  he  was  invisible.  The  scout  put  the  worst  con- 
struction on  the  fact. 

"He  knows  what  is  coming  and  does  not  wish  to 
witness  it;  before  long  the  devils  will  break  loose," 

The  captain's  knowledge  of  the  various  Indian 
tongues  enabled  him  to  address  a  burly  warrior  on 
the  edge  of  the  horde. 

"Where  is  your  chief.  Black  Partridge?" 

The  Indian,  without  checking  his  swaggering  walk, 
looked  up  at  the  lithe  figure  on  horseback,  and  with 
an  exasperating  leer  made  answer: 

"He  is  asleep  in  the  woods;  he  is  drunk;  he  won't 
wake  till  to-morrow." 

With  this  reply,  Captain  Wells  made  an  alarming 
discovery;  the  Pottawatomie  with  whom  he  was  speak- 
ing was  half  intoxicated,  and  a  number  of  those  near 
at  hand  were  in  a  similar  condition.  Despite  the 
staving  in  of  the  whiskey  kegs  and  the  emptying  of 


2i8  Black  Partridge 

their  contents  into  the  river,  they  had  managed  to 
get  the  stuff  from  somewhere. 

Wells  knew  Black  Partridge  shared  the  weakness 
of  his  race  regarding  alcohol,  but  he  did  not  believe 
what  had  just  been  told  him.  The  chief  was  one  who 
always  rose  to  the  responsibilities  thrust  upon  him, 
and  was  the  last  man  to  commit  such  a  folly  at  a 
time  Hke  the  present. 

The  burly  Pottawatomie  who  had  made  the  reply  held 
a  rifle  in  his  left  hand,  and  now  rested  the  other  upon 
the  handle  of  his  hunting  knife  at  his  waist. 

"White  man  git  off  boss,"  he  said  with  another  leer, 
and  forgetful  that  the  captain  had  just  spoken  in  his 
tongue;  "we  fight;  white  man  dog  —  he  coward  — 
he  squaw." 

"I  should  like  to  have  you  for  about  five  minutes 
beyond  sight  of  this  gang,"  muttered  Wells,  who  had 
hard  work  to  keep  his  anger  in  check;  "I'd  show  you 
which  is  the  squaw." 

But  it  would  have  been  the  height  of  rashness  to 
engage  in  a  quarrel,  which  would  have  brought  an 
overwhelming  attack  upon  the  scout,  and  precipitated 
the  massacre.  Wells  pretended  not  to  have  heard 
the  challenge,  and  to  have  more  important  matters 
on  his  mind,  as  most  certainly  was  the  fact.  He 
turned  his  pony  to  gallop  alongside  the  procession 
which  was  now  strung  out  for  two  hundred  yards. 

At  the  moment  of  wheeling  his  animal,  he  heard 


The  Fateful  Morning  219 

something  whizz  close  to  his  ear.  On  the  instant  he 
knew  what  it  meant.  The  warrior  upon  whom  he 
had  turned  his  back  had  hurled  his  tomahawk  at  him. 
Had  the  buck  been  sober,  the  missile  must  have  cloven 
the  head  of  Wells.  Still,  affecting  to  be  unaware  of 
the  treachery  of  the  savage,  he  rode  up  opposite  the 
wagons,  where  he  drew  his  animal  down  to  a  walk. 

Captain  Wells  now  took  the  stopper  from  his  powder- 
horn  and  poured  some  of  the  particles  in  the  palm  of 
the  other  hand.  Mixing  spittle  with  this  he  smeared 
the  stuff  over  his  face.  He  did  it  deliberately  until 
cheeks,  chin,  nose  and  forehead  were  stained  of  a 
black  color. 

The  act  corresponded  to  the  death  song  of  the  Indian. 
It  meant  that  all  hope  was  gone,  and  the  famous  scout 
was  ready  for  the  doom  that  he  knew  was  at  hand. 


CHAPTER  XX 

LIVELY   WORK 

When  the  procession  drew  out  from  Fort  Dear- 
bom  it  headed  southward  over  an  open  plain,  the 
intention  being  to  march  around  the  head  of  the  lake, 
and  press  to  the  southeast  through  the  wilderness  to 
Fort  Wayne.  All  were  proceeding  at  a  walk,  the  only- 
exception  being  Captain  Wells,  who  continued  gallop- 
ing to  and  fro,  as  if  determined  to  keep  track  of  every- 
thing. 

After  blacking  his  face  as  described,  he  wheeled  to 
the  right,  and  striking  his  horse  into  an  easy  gallop 
circled  round  his  friends.  This  brought  him  quite 
near  to  Captain  Heald  and  the  rest.  All  looked  up, 
expecting  him  to  stop,  but  he  passed  them  as  if  he 
saw  them  not.  Each  noticed  the  repulsive  appearance 
of  his  face. 

"What  does  uncle  mean  by  that?"  asked  Mrs. 
Heald. 

"You  must  know,"  replied  her  husband;  "it  sig- 
nifies his  preparation  for  death." 

"What  a  strange  thing  for  him  to  do!" 

"He  has  a  good  many  Indian  superstitions." 


Lively  Work  22 1 

"That  isn't  the  only  strange  thing  he  is  doing; 
where   is   he   going?" 

Captain  Wells,  having  passed  the  head  of  the  pro- 
cession, still  kept  on  to  the  south  over  the  level  plain. 

"Auric,"  said  the  distressed  Mrs.  Heald;  "I  wish 
you  would  hurry  after  uncle  and  bring  him  back;  he 
acts  as  if  he  had  lost  his  head." 

The  request  was  made  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment, 
and  was  instantly  regretted.  Neither  Captain  Heald 
nor  Lieutenant  Helm  liked  it,  but  they  said  nothing. 
To  Auric  Kingdon  the  request  had  the  force  of  a  com- 
mand. He  twitched  the  rein  of  his  pony,  struck  his 
heels  against  his  sides,  and  was  off  Uke  an  arrow,  neither 
he  nor  Jethro  Judd  at  his  side  saying  a  parting  word 
to  each  other. 

Auric  had  not  ridden  more  than  fifty  paces  when 
a  series  of  shouts  and  the  sound  of  tramping  feet  made 
him  look  around.  Fully  a  score  of  warriors  were 
running  after  him.  Thus  Captain  Wells  was  leading, 
the  youth  following  a  short  distance  behind,  while, 
with  a  still  less  mterval  separating  them,  the  band  of. 
Indians  were  bearing  down  upon  the  young  American, 
who  was  mystified. 

Resourceful  as  was  our  young  friend,  he  was  at  a 
loss  as  to  what  was  the  best  thing  for  him  to  do.  What 
meant  this  strange  pursuit  of  the  two?  It  looked  as 
if  the  excited  redskins  intended  to  cut  him  and  Wells 
off  from  the  rest  of  the  party. 


222  Black  Partridge 

But,  if  so,  the  scout  must  have  read  the  design. 
Why  then  did  he  not  wheel  about  and  either  charge 
through  the  group  or  flank  them  ? 

Manifestly  it  would  not  do  for  Auric  to  attempt 
to  return  until  the  veteran  did  so.  He  slackened  the 
speed  of  his  horse,  keeping  an  eye  on  his  friend  in 
front,  as  well  as  his  enemies  in  the  rear,  ready  to  do 
the  right  thing  the  moment  he  could  find  what  that 
right  thing  was. 

Suddenly  Captain  Wells  checked  his  steed,  drew 
him  around,  and  then  charged  at  full  speed  upon 
the  red  footmen,  who  were  still  hooting  and  yelling 
and  running  toward  the  two.  Auric  drew  rein  and 
was  more  dumfounded  than  ever. 

"Shall  I  help  you  charge?"  shouted  the  youth,  as 
the  scout  with  the  face  of  a  negro  thundered  past. 

The  captain  called  back  something,  but  Auric 
failed  to  catch  what  it  was,  and  the  command,  not  being 
repeated,  was  lost. 

The  next  moment  the  Indians  were  on  all  sides  of 
the  scout.  Auric  saw  him  reach  over  from  his  saddle, 
and  with  his  clubbed  gun  strike  viciously  at  the  lead- 
ing warrior.  The  scout  was  aflame  with  anger  and 
shouted : 

"Cowards!  dogs!  squaws!  you  are  worse  than  the 
Pottawatomies ! " 

And  then  the  truth  flashed  upon  Auric.  The  party 
which  had  dashed  after  the  two  in  such  desperate 


Lively  Work  223 

haste  were  the  Miamis,  whom  Captain  Wells  had 
brought  from  Fort  Wayne  to  help  escort  the  garrison 
thither.  They  had  not  waited  for  the  first  gun  to  be 
fired  or  for  a  blow  to  be  struck,  but,  seeing  that  it  was 
coming,  they  broke  in  a  panic,  and,  led  by  Iron  Hand 
himself,  were  fleeing  hot-footed  for  their  lives. 

It  was  the  chieftain  himself  at  whom  Captain  Wells 
struck,  but  the  nimble  savage  dodged  the  blow  and 
continued  his  flight  southward  at  the  highest  bent  of 
his  speed.  Had  the  situation  been  less  appalling,  it 
would  have  been  amusing. 

The  young  American  was  still  nonplussed.  Surely 
it  was  not  his  place  to  attack  the  Miamis,  when  his 
help  would  soon  be  needed  against  more  dangerous 
redskins.  They  were  of  no  account,  and  might  as 
well  be  allowed  to  leave  without  hindrance. 

But  Captain  Wefls  thought  different.  Not  only  in 
the  presence  of  Captain  Heald  had  Iron  Hand  pledged 
that  he  and  his  warriors  would  stand  by  the  garrison 
to  the  death,  but  he  had  said  the  same  a  score  of  times 
while  on  the  way  from  Fort  Wayne.  At  the  moment, 
the  rage  of  the  scout  was  greater  against  this  cowardly 
chief  than  against  the  Pottawatomies  and  Winnebagoes. 
He  knew  what  to  expect  from  them,  but  he  had  begun 
to  believe  there  might  be  something  in  the  boasts  of 
Iron  Hand.  Had  he  held  his  ground,  his  warriors 
would  have  done  the  same  for  a  time  at  least,  but  his 
example  destroyed  all  hope  of  anything  of  that  nature. 


224  Black  Partridge 

Impelled  by  his  tempestuous  anger,  Wells  headed  his 
horse  after  the  flying  chief,  determined  to  ride  him 
down  and  to  shatter  his  skull  as  punishment  for  his 
cowardice.  It  was  a  rash  thing  to  do,  for  any  one  of 
the  warriors  could  have  shot  the  pursuer  from  his 
steed.  Such  would  have  been  the  issue,  had  not  every 
one  of  the  Miamis  been  smitten  with  a  terror  which 
made  them  think  only  of  themselves  and  safety. 

Singling  out  Iron  Hand,  the  captain  charged  after 
him  with  his  animal  on  a  full  run.  The  terrified 
fugitive,  seeing  there  was  no  escape,  and  forgetful 
that  he  had  a  loaded  gun  in  his  hand,  faced  about  and 
began  abjectly  pleading  for  his  life.  Had  he  put  up  a 
fight  the  horseman  would  have  slain  him  then  and 
there,  but  he  could  not  kick  the  dog  that  cringed  at 
his  feet.  The  black  face  assumed  an  expression 
of  unutterable  disgust,  as  Captain  Wells  checked  his 
horse,  gazed  down  at  the  miserable  wretch,  and  then, 
turning  his  back  on  the  whole  party,  galloped  off  to 
join  his  friends. 

In  doing  this,  the  scout  seemed  to  be  wholly  uncon- 
scious of  the  presence  of  Auric  Kingdon.  Under  his 
whirlwind  of  emotion  he  was  thinking  of  larger 
things.  The  incident  was  of  small  moment,  however, 
and  the  youth  was  on  the  point  of  riding  after  him, 
when  he  became  involved  in  a  remarkable  experience. 

Not  all  the  Miamis  ran  with  equal  speed.  Iron 
Hand  took  the  lead  and  kept  it.    The  moment  the 


Lively  Work  225 

indignant  Captain  Wells  turned  away  he  was  off  like 
a  deer,  and  quickly  placed  himself  in  the  van  of 
the  panic-stricken  fugitives.  The  last  glimpse  of  the 
chief  showed  him  going  at  his  highest  speed  over  the 
plain.  We  have  no  record  of  the  time  thus  spent, 
but  he  must  have  kept  it  up  long  after  he  was  beyond 
danger. 

Two  of  the  Miamis  lagged  to  that  extent  that  they 
were  close  to  Auric  Kingdon  when  he  decided  to 
follow  Wells  in  his  return  to  the  main  company.  Be- 
fore the  direction  of  the  animal  could  be  changed,  one 
of  these  bucks  struck  the  flank  of  the  pony  such  a 
resounding  slap,  that  he  plunged  southward  as  if  in 
pursuit  of  the  flying  Iron  Hand. 

The  angered  rider  yanked  viciously  at  the  reins, 
but,  before  he  could  get  the  mastery  of  the  frightened 
animal,  the  second  Miami  came  up  on  the  other  side 
and  sharply  pricked  the  flank  of  the  animal  with  the 
point  of  his  hunting-knife.  He  probably  did  so  in  a 
spirit  of  deviltry,  for  he  could  not  have  expected  to 
accomplish  anything  by  the  act. 

The  horse  instantly  became  uncontrollable.  He 
dashed  after  the  flying  redskins,  the  bit  between  his 
teeth  and  in  a  frenzy  of  panic.  Auric  was  a  good 
horseman,  and  by  steadily  tugging  at  one  rein  he 
succeeded  at  last  in  bringing  the  animal  around. 

The  youth's  whole  efforts  were  so  centred  upon 
this  task  that  for  the  time  he  saw  and  thought  of 


226  Black  Partridge 

nothing  else.  The  consequence  was  that  his  pony, 
while  leaving  his  first  two  tormentors  behind,  gal- 
loped directly  among  three  others,  who  were  making  the 
best  time  they  could  for  Fort  Wayne.  The  lad  knew 
nothing  of  this  until  a  pecuHar  cry  fell  upon  his  ear. 
His  pony  had  struck  a  Miami  warrior  with  his 
hoofs  and  knocked  him  to  the  earth.  It  was  this 
slight  interruption  which  enabled  Auric  to  master 
his  frightened  animal,  who  was  partly  checked  by 
the  incident. 

The  buck  who  had  been  knocked  down  was  not 
much  hurt,  but  the  occurrence  threw  him  into  a  fury. 
Leaping  to  his  feet,  he  whipped  out  his  tomahawk  and 
struck  viciously  at  the  youth,  who  by  the  greatest 
effort  dodged  the  blow.  The  Miami  must  have  be- 
lieved he  had  been  run  down  intentionally. 

"What  the  mischief  is  the  matter  with  you?"  de- 
manded the  youth,  who,  having  his  rifle  at  command, 
swung  it  round  with  his  right  hand  without  bringing 
the  weapon  to  his  shoulder.  The  distance  was  so 
slight  that  no  aim  was  necessary. 

And  then  what  did  the  copper-hued  coward  do  but 
bellow  for  mercy,  and  start  off  as  if  determined  to 
catch  his  chief  who  was  scooting  over  the  plain? 

"Of  all  the  infernal  cowards  I  ever  heard  of  you 
are  the  worst!"  exclaimed  the  amazed  Auric;  "what 
ever  led  Captain  Wells  to  put  any  trust  — " 

The  youth  had  forgotten  the  two  Miamis  on  the 


Lively  Work  227 

other  side  of  his  horse.  He  was  reminded  of  their 
presence  in  the  most  startUng  manner.  One  of  them 
seized  his  leg  and  began  dragging  him  from  the  saddle. 
Auric  fiercely  resisted,  but  he  was  at  great  disadvan- 
tage and  could  not  save  himself.  He  had  barely 
time  to  draw  his  feet  from  the  stirrups,  when  out  he 
went,  unhorsed  with  such  suddenness  that  he  stag- 
gered and  fell  to  his  knees. 

He  had  succeeded  in  keeping  his  gun  in  hand,  but 
did  not  wish  to  use  it  until  forced  to  do  so.  Similarly 
armed  were  the  two  Miamis,  and  there  was  no  reason 
why  they  should  not  shoot  him  down.  Indeed,  they 
could  have  brained  him,  or  used  their  knives  with  fatal 
effect,  while  he  was  regaining  his  feet. 

The  instant  Auric  had  done  this,  he  grasped  his  gun 
with  both  hands  and  faced  his  enemies.  Then, 
incredible  as  it  may  seem,  they  seemed  to  think  they 
had  important  business  at  Fort  Wayne  and  hastily 
joined  the  procession  heading  thither! 

But  it  was  not  yet  plain  saihng  for  Auric  Kingdon. 
He  was  gazing  after  the  scurrying  fugitives  when,  to 
his  amazement,  his  horse,  which  had  been  standing 
obediently  near,  though  much  flustered  over  what 
had  taken  place,  dashed  off  in  the  same  direction. 
A  glance  at  the  animal  gave  the  explanation:  unsus- 
pected by  the  owner,  another  Miami,  who  seemed 
to  spring  from  the  ground,  had  leaped  into  the  saddle 
and  was  speeding  like  a  whirlwind  for  Fort  Wayne. 


228  Black  Partridge 

"Shoot  him,  Auric!  Quick  or  he'll  get  away  from 
you!" 

It  was  Jethro  Judd  who  shouted  these  words,  as 
he  came  toward  his  comrade  with  his  pony  on  a  full 
run.  He  had  seen  that  his  friend  was  involved  in 
trouble,  and  when  Captain  Wells  returned  without 
him,  Jethro  hurried  to  the  help  of  the  one  whom  he 
loved  as  his  own  Hfe. 

Auric  brought  his  gun  to  his  shoulder,  but  imme- 
diately lowered  it.  He  couldn't  think  it  justifiable  to 
shoot  a  Miami  Indian  merely  because  he  was  stealing 
a  horse.  Beside,  the  consequences  might  be  bad 
when  the  Pottawatomies  heard  the  report  of  a  gun. 

"You  have  got  a  good  horse,  Jet;  run  him  down; 
he  won't  show  any  fight,"  said  Auric,  as  his  friend 
came  up. 

"All  right,"  responded  Jethro,  who  shot  past  with- 
out checking  his  steed. 

A  few  minutes  later,  Jethro  awoke  to  the  unpleasant 
fact  that  the  pony  which  he  bestrode  was  no  fleeter 
than  the  one  he  was  chasing.  All  that  the  Miami 
had  to  do  was  to  keep  him  at  his  best  paces,  and  he 
was  safe  against  being  overtaken.  Through  some 
whim  either  the  horse  or  the  rider  turned  to  the  west, 
so  that  the  couple  diverged  from  the  line  of  flight 
made  by  the  fleeing  Miamis,  who,  by  this  time,  were 
scattered  at  varying  distances  over  the  plain. 
The  moment  Jethro  Judd  sped  by  his  friend,  the 


Lively  Work  229 

latter  broke  into  a  run  after  him.  Thus  a  warrior 
mounted  on  one  pony  was  going  swiftly  southward, 
with  a  white  youth  pursuing  him  on  horseback,  while 
a  third  pursuer,  in  the  person  of  Auric  Kingdon,  was 
bringing  up  the  rear  on  foot.  In  such  circumstances, 
there  was  no  earthly  show  for  the  last,  unless  some- 
thing unexpected  checked  the  flight  of  the  advance 
horseman. 

In  this  instance  it  was  not  the  unexpected  that 
happened.  The  Miami  kept  his  saddle  and  urged 
his  pilfered  animal  so  vigorously  that  it  did  not  take 
Jethro  long  to  see  he  had  undertaken  a  hopeless  task. 
He  drew  rein,  and,  turning  back  to  meet  his  panting 
friend,  said  with  a  laugh: 

"I'm  sorry,  old  fellow,  but  I  don't  beHeve  you'll 
ever  see  that  horse  again." 

And  it  may  be  said  that  Auric  Kingdon  never  did 
see  him  again. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  ATTACK 

From  the  moment  of  the  abandonment  of  Fort 
Dearborn  the  procession  moved  slowly  to  the  south- 
ward. As  has  been  stated,  it  traversed  an  open  plain, 
the  intention  being  to  pass  around  the  head  of  Lake 
Michigan,  and  over  the  old  trail  to  Fort  Wayne,  The 
signs  of  hostiUty  on  the  part  of  the  escorting  Pot- 
tawatomies  became  more  marked  with  every  rod  of 
advance.  The  watchful  Captain  Wells  saw  that  it 
was  likely  to  break  out  at  any  moment,  and  that  it 
was  as  certain  to  take  place  as  was  the  setting  of  the 
summer  sun.  Hence  his  blackening  of  his  face  as  a 
sign  that  he  had  given  up  all  hope  of  escape  for  himself. 

The  company  had  reached  a  point  a  Httle  over  a 
mile  from  the  fort,  when  the  hundreds  of  Pottawat- 
omies  drew  off,  hurried  forward,  and  disappeared 
behind  a  long,  low  sand  hill  between  the  whites  and 
the  lake.  It  was  a  terrifying  proceeding  and  no  one 
could  mistake  its  meaning.  The  route  led  directly 
in  front  of  this  ridge,  and  the  redskins  meant  to  attack 
the  whites  when  they  came  within  range. 

True,  the  soldiers  might  have  circled  farther  to  the 
230 


The  Attack  231 

right,  but  that  would  have  only  postponed  the  assault. 
The  fight  must  be  made  with  the  defenders  in  the  open, 
and  one  place  was  as  good  as  another. 

Captain  Wells  galloped  up  to  Captain  Heald. 

"They  are  about  to  attack!  Get  ready  as  quick 
as  you  can!" 

Heald  issued  his  orders  with  mihtary  terseness. 
The  wagons  were  brought  together,  so  as  to  form  an 
irregular  circle,  within  which  were  placed  the  horses, 
while  the  soldiers  prepared  to  fire  from  behind  the 
rude  defences.  In  one  of  the  large  covered  wagons 
the  women  and  children  were  placed,  its  station  being 
such  that  it  was  better  protected  against  the  flying 
bullets  than  any  other  of  the  vehicles. 

Hurried  as  were  these  movements,  they  were  not 
completed  when  the  historical  attack  opened.  The 
Pottawatomies  fired  a  scattering  volley  from  the  crest 
of  the  ridge,  but  the  distance  was  too  great  for  the 
shots  to  do  any  damage.  The  thud  of  several  bullets 
was  heard  as  they  struck  the  woodwork,  and  one 
of  the  missiles,  by  some  odd  freak,  pierced  the  flank 
of  the  horse  that  seemed  the  best  protected  of  all 
the  animals.  He  uttered  a  whinney  of  pain,  and 
reared  and  plunged  so  violently  that  it  was  some  time 
before  he  could  be  quieted. 

It  was  an  alarming  sight  when  twenty  or  thirty 
heads  of  the  assailants  appeared  in  one  place,  dropped 
out  of  view,  and  then  bobbed  up  and  peered  over  at 


232  Black  Partridge 

another  part  of  the  crest.  Possibly  the  latter  heads 
belonged  to  other  warriors. 

No  more  terrifying  picture  can  be  imagined  than 
that  which  opened  before  the  eyes  of  the  defenders 
within  the  next  ten  minutes.  There  were  certainly 
between  four  and  five  hundred  Pottawatomies,  with 
a  few  members  of  other  tribes,  crouching  behind  the 
ridge,  with  guns  loaded,  eagerly  awaiting  the  moment 
when  the  whites  should  come  withm  range.  Seeing 
that  they  would  not  do  so,  and  that  they  were  intrench- 
ing themselves,  so  to  speak,  the  redskins  came  out 
from  cover  and  advanced  against  them.  It  looked 
as  if  a  thousand  painted  bricks  swarmed  over  the 
summit,  but  instead  of  charging  in  a  body  they  dis- 
persed, keeping  well  out  on  the  plain,  afraid  of  the 
shots  that  were  awaiting  them.  They  separated 
more  and  more  until  the  wagons  were  enclosed  on 
every  side. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  assailants  out- 
numbered the  defenders  ten  to  one,  that  the  latter 
were  handicapped  by  the  care  of  their  women  and 
children,  and  the  considerable  amount  of  luggage 
and  stores  brought  from  the  fort.  Moreover,  the 
protection  offered  by  the  vehicles  on  the  open  plain 
was  so  imperfect  that  the  situation  of  the  whites  was 
hopeless  from  the  first. 

The  Indians  began  drawing  nearer.  Nothing  could 
surpass  the  awful  nature  of  their  attack.    Several  of 


The  Attack  233 

the  leaders  were  on  horseback,  but  they  kept  at  a 
safe  distance,  urging  their  warriors  to  press  closer 
every  minute.  Instead  of  making  a  dashing  charge, 
which  would  have  swept  everything  before  it,  the 
bucks,  when  they  approached  range,  dropped  on 
their  faces  and  crept  forward,  firing  from  that  position, 
and  aiming  with  such  effect  that  in  a  short  time  they 
killed  several  horses,  and  two  soldiers,  besides  wound- 
ing three  more. 

It  need  not  be  said  that  every  white  man  who  pos- 
sessed a  firearm  did  his  best  with  it.  Captain  Heald, 
Lieutenant  Helm,  and  others  fought  with  coolness, 
firing  as  often  as  they  could  load  and  aim.  The  one 
who  did  the  most  execution  was  Captain  Wells.  He 
stood  behind  the  rear  wheel  of  one  of  the  wagons, 
and  sighted  with  as  much  care  as  if  he  were  prac- 
tising at  a  shooting  match.  Rarely  or  never  did  he 
miss.  Selecting  his  man,  who  probably  lay  at  full 
length  on  the  prairie,  he  made  sure  of  his  aim,  and 
when  he  pulled  trigger,  that  same  buck  was  pretty 
certain  to  emit  a  yell,  leap  grotesquely  in  air,  or  roll 
over  on  his  back,  and  that  was  the  last  of  him. 

Standing  thus,  only  partly  screened  by  the  tire  and 
spokes  of  the  wheel,  the  scout  himself  served  as  a 
target  for  more  than  one  Pottawatomie  sharpshooter. 
Twice  the  spokes  were  struck,  and  once  the  splinters 
knocked  from  the  tire  stung  his  face.  But  he  did  not 
shift  his  position,  nor  did  he  try  to  lessen  the  danger 


234  Black  Partridge 

by  imitating  his  foes,  as  most  of  those  around  him 
were  doing. 

It  was  the  custom  of  Captain  Wells  to  pick  out  his 
next  victim  while  loading  his  gun.  For  his  seventh 
he  fixed  upon  a  tall,  sinewy  warrior,  who,  although 
not  as  far  to  the  front  as  the  others,  was  evidently  a 
leader  that  was  directing  them.  He  had  left  his 
horse,  and  proved  his  bravery  by  entering  the  zone 
of  danger,  from  which  the  others  took  care  to  keep 
clear. 

"I  think  I'll  wing  you  the  next  time,"  was  the  de- 
cision of  Wells,  as  he  pulled  back  the  flint  of  his  rifle; 
"you  don't  seem  to  think  you  are  within  reach;  you 
may  not  be  so  for  others,  but  you're  just  where  /  want 
you." 

With  his  usual  coolness  he  drew  bead  on  the  un- 
suspicious redskin,  and  his  finger  was  pressing  the 
trigger,  when  he  suddenly  checked  himself. 

"By  the  homed  spoon,  that  was  the  narrowest 
escape  you  ever  had.  Black  Partridge!"  muttered  the 
scout,  with  a  slight  shiver;  "if  I  had  picked  you  off, 
it  would  have  been  the  fault  of  that  confounded  paint 
you  have  daubed  over  your  pretty  face!  " 

When  the  two  friends  had  their  talk  together  the 
night  before,  the  paint  was  not  visible  in  the  shade 
of  the  woods,  and  Captain  Wells  in  truth  was  not 
aware  of  the  chief's  disfigurement.  But  there  was 
something   about   the   Pottawatomie   which   revealed 


Captain  Wells  in  the  Attack  Page  234 


The  Attack 


235 


his  identity  at  the  critical  moment.  An  instant  later 
and  it  would  have  been  too  late. 

The  discovery  suggested  to  the  scout  that  he  may 
have  really  seen  the  sachem  among  his  warriors  on 
the  march,  but  failed  to  identify  him.  He  was  prob- 
ably trying  to  keep  out  of  the  sight  of  his  old  friend, 
and  succeeded  to  the  extent  of  escaping  recognition. 

"I  don't  know.  Black  Partridge,  that  I  hadn't 
ought  to  shoot  you  as  it  is,  for  you've  no  business 
where  you  are,  but  I  shouldn't  feel  quite  right,  for  I 
don't  believe  you  want  to  kill  me." 

Without  shifting  his  position  in  the  slightest.  Cap- 
tain Wells  diverted  his  aim  the  fraction  of  an  inch  to 
one  side,  and  selected  a  warrior  who  was  stretched 
on  the  ground,  just  to  the  right  of  the  chief. 

"He'll  do  as  well  as  you." 

Amid  the  reports  of  the  guns  around  him,  the  sharp 
crack  of  the  scout's  long  rifle  was  heard,  and  the  red- 
skin whom  he  had  in  his  eye  sprang  to  his  feet,  leaped 
in  air,  and  then  sprawled  forward  with  his  arms  flung 
over  the  legs  of  Black  Partridge,  who  kicked  himself 
free,  and  maintained  his  position  as  before. 

In  the  account  of  this  remarkable  fight  on  the 
prairie,  justice  must  be  done  to  the  women,  who  dis- 
played a  bravery  and  coolness  that  could  not  be  sur- 
passed. It  has  been  told  that  Mrs.  Heald,  when  she 
rode  out  from  the  fort,  carried  a  rifle,  and  that  she 
was  noted  among  her  friends  as  an  expert  shot.     Her 


236  Black  Partridge 

husband  urged  her  to  give  her  whole  care  to  shelter- 
ing herself  from  the  bullets  that  were  flying  faster 
every  minute,  and  told  her  and  Mrs.  Helm  that,  if 
they  would  enter  the  wagon  containing  the  children, 
and  keep  their  bodies  below  the  heavy  wooden  sides, 
no  harm  would  befall  them. 

Both  refused  to  act  on  the  advice. 

"Every  shot  is  needed,"  said  Mrs.  Heald;  "I  know 
I  have  brought  down  one  or  two,  and  think  I  am  good 
for  a  few  more." 

"You  may  be  a  better  shot  than  I,"  added  Mrs. 
Helm,  to  her  husband;  "but  if  one  keeps  his  senses, 
he  can't  well  miss.  You  two  and  the  rest  should 
fight  all  you  can  and  give  no  attention  to  us." 

These  heroic  women  stationed  themselves  behind 
the  wagon  in  which  cowered  the  awed  little  ones, 
where  they  might  have  found  refuge,  but  declined  it, 
and  loaded,  aimed,  and  fired  with  the  coolness  of 
veterans. 

The  testimony  of  the  aged  Volney  Burgess,  who 
died  at  Fort  Wayne,  at  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War, 
is  of  peculiar  interest.  He  was  a  private  soldier  in 
the  famous  massacre,  and  always  condemned  Captain 
Heald  for  refusing  to  follow  the  advice  of  his  ofiicers 
to  remain  in  Fort  Dearborn. 

"Had  he  done  so,"  said  Mr.  Burgess,  "there  never 
would  have  been  a  massacre.  If  Lieutenant  Helm 
had   revolted,   as   we    all   hoped   he  would  do,   the 


The  Attack  237 

garrison  would  have  stood  by  him  to  a  man,  but  we 
had  no  choice  but  to  obey  orders. 

"When  the  fight  on  the  prairie  opened  I  followed 
the  advice  of  Captain  Heald  and  lay  down,  all  of  us 
loading  and  firing  at  will.  When  we  had  fought  for 
twenty  minutes  I  began  to  feel  more  hope  than  at 
any  time  since  leaving  the  fort.  It  is  true  we  were 
surrounded  by  the  Indians,  who  kept  up  the  hottest 
kind  of  a  fire,  but  we  were  fairly  well  protected,  and 
were  standing  them  oflf.  None  of  us  was  panic-stricken, 
and  we  were  killing  as  many  of  them  as  they  were  of 
us.  In  fact,  I  think  we  were  doing  better,  for,  aside 
from  their  superior  numbers,  the  advantage  was  with 
us. 

"  Every  minute  or  two  I  would  hear  a  cry  from  one 
of  the  fellows  near  me,  and  I  knew  what  it  meant; 
he  had  been  knocked  out  of  the  business  forever; 
but,  as  I  said,  the  Pottawatomies  were  losing  their 
bucks  faster  than  we.  An  Indian  can't  stand  the 
gaff,  and  I  was  looking  for  them  to  drop  back  out  of 
range  and  fix  up  some  other  plan  for  our  undoing, 
when  they  did  the  thing  which  none  of  us  expected, 
and  which  their  race  don't  often  do. 

"First,  there  was  a  lot  of  yells  which,  beginning 
directly  in  our  front,  made  a  complete  circle  round  us. 
I  recognized  them  as  the  shouts  of  the  chiefs,  and 
knew  they  were  orders  of  some  kind.  The  leaders 
were  mostly  on  horseback,  though  some,  like  Black 


238  Black  Partridge 

Partridge,  mingled  with  the  warriors  and  took  even 
chances  with  them. 

''A  minute  later  the  meaning  of  the  shouts  was 
seen.  It  was  an  order  for  a  general  charge  and  it 
was  obeyed  with  enthusiasm.  The  Indians  were 
tired  of  having  their  men  picked  off,  while  able  to  do 
nothing,  and  they  summoned  up  enough  courage  to 
respond  to  the  commands  of  their  chiefs.  Almost  as 
one  man  they  leaped  to  their  feet,  and,  adding  their 
yells  to  those  of  their  leaders,  came  down  upon  us  like 
a  tornado. 

"It  seemed  only  a  few  seconds  when  they  were 
among  us,  and  we  were  all  fighting  hand  to  hand, 
like  so  many  tigers.  I  couldn't  see  much  of  what 
was  going  on  around  me,  for  I  had  my  hands  full, 
but  in  the  swirl  and  hell  of  conflict  I  partially  saw 
one  of  the  most  frightful  crimes  that  was  ever  per- 
petrated. 

"A  brawny  warrior  suddenly  bounded  out  from 
among  his  companions,  tomahawk  in  hand,  and,  with 
an  ear-spHtting  screech,  leaped  into  the  rear  of  the 
wagon  containing  the  children,  several  of  whom  had 
betrayed  themselves  by  peeping  out  on  the  dreadful 
scene  around  them.  He  could  not  have  been  in  the 
wagon  more  than  three  minutes,  yet,  when  he  sprang 
out  again,  he  did  not  leave  a  Hve  child  behind  him! 

"I  don't  know  how  many  were  killed,  but  have 
heard  it  placed  as  high  as  a  dozen.    It  was  the  work 


The  Attack  239 

of  a  fiend,  so  horrifying  that  only  one  man  in  our  com- 
pany realized  what  had  been  done.  He  was  Captain 
Wells,  who  saw  the  demon  drop  to  the  ground,  and 
start  off  to  join  his  companions.  Before  he  could  do 
so,  Wells  reached  him,  and  with  one  blow  from  his 
clubbed  musket  brought  him  dead  to  the  ground. 

"Before  this  the  famous  scout  had  been  recognized 
by  many  of  the  Pottawatomies  and  there  was  a  general 
rush  for  him.  He  placed  his  back  against  the  side  of 
the  wagon  in  which  the  bodies  of  the  innocents  lay, 
and  for  some  minutes  hewed  a  place  clear  in  front  of 
him.  His  hat  had  dropped  off,  the  streaming  per- 
spiration washed  streaks  through  the  moistened  gun- 
powder which  he  had  smeared  over  it,  and  his  eyes 
were  aflame.  He  was  a  magnificent  specimen  of 
strength  and  activity,  and  formed  a  picture  which 
I  shall  remember  to  my  dying  day. 

"I  was  so  awed  by  the  sight  that  I  determined  to 
force  my  way  to  his  side  and  stand  by  him  to  the  last. 
But  I  had  taken  only  a  couple  of  paces  when  it  seemed 
that  a  red-hot  needle  was  thrust  into  my  thigh,  my 
leg  twisted  under  me,  and  I  came  to  the  ground  like 
a  tipped-over  stone.  I  had  been  shot  and  couldn't 
stand. 

"My  fall  was  so  sudden  that  my  gun,  which  I  had 
not  had  time  to  reload,  flew  from  my  hands.  Like  a 
flash  it  came  over  me  that  my  only  hope  lay  in  feigning 
death.     The  Indians  were  after  live  men,  and  had  no 


240  Black  Partridge 

time  to  give  attention  to  dead  ones.  No  one  can 
conceive  the  frightful  turmoil,  noise,  and  confusion. 
I  rolled  over  on  my  face,  with  hands  outstretched 
and  doubled  under  me,  as  if  every  spark  of  hfe  had 
fled. 

"The  trick  succeeded  for  the  time,  but  I  had  lain 
thus  for  only  a  brief  while,  when  the  toe  or  heel  of  some 
one  struck  my  side,  and  the  person  went  down  beside 
me,  with  a  groan  which  I  knew  was  his  last.  It  was 
some  minutes  before  I  dared  move  my  head  enough 
to  get  a  peep  at  him.  When  I  did  so  I  saw  the  grimy 
face  of  Captain  Wells,  who  had  died  like  the  hero  he 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A  BORDER  HEROINE 

The  only  man  among  those  that  were  making  such 
a  brave  fight  for  their  hves  who  understood  the  mean- 
ing of  the  series  of  shouts  which  travelled  round  the 
doomed  band  was  Captain  Wells. 

"They  are  going  to  charge!"  he  exclaimed,  though 
hardly  any  one  heard  the  words  in  the  din  of  the 
firing. 

The  scout  had  just  struck  a  "target"  again.  With- 
out pausing  to  reload  his  weapon  he  dashed  to  the 
wagon  v/here  Mrs.  Heald  and  Mrs.  Helm  were  doing 
the  same  as  he  had  been  industriously  doing.  The 
husbands  of  both  were  some  paces  away,  absorbed 
in  their  work  of  directing  the  soldiers  and  firing  their 
own  guns. 

"You  must  get  out  of  this  place,"  called  the  captain, 
addressing  both;  "the  devils  will  be  here  in  a  minute 
or  two." 

"But,  uncle,  how  can  we  get  out?"  asked  Mrs. 
Heald,  holding  her  powder-horn  ready  to  pour  the 
grains  into  the  pan  of  her  rifle. 

"  Mount  your  horses,  and  wait  till  the  Pottawatomies 
241 


242  Black  Partridge 

start;  they  won't  come  in  a  solid  mass;  there  will  be 
openings  here  and  there;  make  a  dash  through  one 
of  these." 

"Where  shall  we  go?"  asked  Mrs.  Heald,  who,  truth 
to  tell,  showed  less  agitation  than  the  veteran  scout. 

"Back  to  the  fort,  down  the  river,  anywhere,  so 
you  get  as  far  away  as  you  can  from  here!^' 

The  steed  of  Mrs.  Heald  was  one  of  the  best  in  the 
company;  he  was  fastened  only  a  few  paces  away, 
and,  as  yet,  was  unharmed.  He  was  saddled  and 
bridled,  the  halter  being  tied  to  the  hind  wheel  of  one 
of  the  wagons. 

Mrs.  Helm's  animal  was  in  a  different  direction. 
Knowing,  like  her  companion,  that  Captain  Wells  was 
the  best  one  to  advise  in  such  an  awful  crisis,  she 
hastened  to  her  horse,  while  Mrs.  Heald  and  her 
relative  were  giving  attention  to  the  other.  The  scout 
showed  what  he  thought  of  the  value  of  time,  when, 
without  pausing  to  untie  the  halter,  he  cut  it  with  a 
single  stroke  of  his  knife. 

"You  haven't  a  second  to  spare,"  he  added,  his  head 
so  close  to  that  of  his  niece  that  she  caught  his  words. 
He  helped  her  into  the  saddle  and  she  caught  up  the 
reins. 

"Is  your  gun  loaded?"  he  asked,  without  glancing 
at  the  pan. 

"Partly." 

"Throw  it  away;  it  can't  be  of  any  help  to  you; 


A  Border  Heroine  243 

watch  for  an  opening  and  when  you  see  it  do  as  I 
told  you  —  dash  through  it.     Here  they  come!" 

Captain  Wells  could  do  no  more  for  her,  and  turned 
to  look  for  Mrs.  Helm.  Something  like  a  panic  seized 
the  soldiers  when  they  saw  the  painted  hordes  running 
down  upon  them  from  every  point  of  the  compass. 
There  was  dashing  to  and  fro,  several  of  the  men  in 
their  wild  panic  breaking  through  the  lines  and  run- 
ning blindly  to  meet  the  Pottawatomies.  He  could 
see  nothing  of  Mrs.  Helm. 

"She  heard  me  say  what  they  ought  to  do;  there's 
no  time  to  look  for  her." 

And  then  the  ranger  resumed  his  fighting,  to  fall 
a  few  minutes  later,  as  has  already  been  related. 

Rebecca  Heald  proved  herself  a  worthy  relative 
of  this  intrepid  pioneer  of  the  border.  Among  the 
terrified  swarm,  none  was  more  self-possessed  than  she. 
She  sat  erect,  firmly  poised  in  the  saddle,  and  looked 
calmly  out  over  the  plain  at  the  horrible  horde  charg- 
ing down  upon  them.  She  was  a  handsome  woman, 
admired  by  every  officer  and  soldier  at  Fort  Dearborn. 
If  any  one  had  paused  amid  the  fearful  hurly-burly  to 
look  at  her  he  would  have  seen  the  thin  lips  tightly 
compressed,  the  cheeks  a  Httle  paler  than  was  their 
wont,  while  the  fine  dark  eyes  had  a  flash  that  some 
remembered  to  have  seen  when  she  was  stirred  by 
unusual  excitement.  But  there  was  not  a  tremor  of 
so  much  as  an  eyelid. 


244  Black  Partridge 

With  a  coolness  which  approached  the  marvellous, 
the  woman  was  looking  for  the  opening  of  which  she 
meant  to  take  advantage,  as  urged  to  do  by  her  uncle. 
Captain  Wells.  It  was  the  only  possible  hope,  and 
you  need  not  be  told  that  it  was  of  the  most  desperate 
nature:  the  chances  were  a  hundred  to  one  that  it 
would  not  avail  her. 

Directly  in  front,  the  howling  Pottawatomies  were 
coming  in  such  a  dense  mass  that  she  would  have  been 
overthrown  before  she  could  gallop  a  dozen  paces,  but 
a  little  to  the  left  a  partially  open  space  showed,  as  if 
two  divisions  of  an  army  were  charging  at  the  same 
point,  and  each  preserving  its  separate  formation. 

Naturally  her  horse  was  in  a  tremor  of  excitement, 
for  he  was  facing  a  scene  such  as  he  had  never  faced 
before  and  was  never  to  be  called  to  face  again.  But 
he  was  highly  trained  and  was  obedient  to  his  mistress. 
She  held  the  reins  firmly,  and  even  patted  his  neck 
reassuringly. 

Suddenly  she  twitched  the  bridle,  and  turned  his 
head  to  the  left.  He  sprang  forward  at  a  canter. 
She  jerked  the  reins  again,  and  the  canter  became  a 
run.  The  horde  was  on  her  right  and  on  her  left. 
Two  warriors  were  coming  toward  her  and  were 
directly  in  her  path.  She  tried  to  draw  aside  and  only 
partially  succeeded.  One  of  the  bucks  dodged  from 
the  front  of  her  horse,  just  in  time  to  save  himself. 
He  glanced  up  as  if  he  failed  to  understand  what  the 


A  Border  Heroine  245 

strange  action  meant.  Then  he  raised  his  gun  and 
fired  at  her.  The  wonder  is  she  was  not  instantly 
killed.  As  it  was,  the  bullet  passed  through  her  fore- 
arm. She  hardly  felt  the  twinge  of  pain  in  the  tensity 
of  the  moment,  but  the  blood  began  trickling  down 
over  her  wrist  and  hand.  It  made  no  difference, 
for,  as  cool  as  ever,  she  urged  her  animal  forward. 

She  might  have  forced  her  way  through  the  line, 
for  the  savages  were  charging  so  closely  together  that 
the  space  was  comparatively  brief,  but  an  element 
entered  into  the  strange  effort  which  had  never  occurred 
to  her  until  that  moment.  It  has  been  said  that  the 
steed  upon  which  she  was  mounted  was  an  unusually 
fine  one.  Indeed,  there  was  none  at  Fort  Dearborn 
that  could  be  compared  with  him.  He  would  have 
been  a  prize  for  a  prince. 

The  second  warrior  whom  Mrs.  Heald  encountered 
was  seized  with  a  sudden  covetousness  for  the  animal, 
whose  speed  had  been  stopped  for  an  instant  by  the 
interruption  named.  Before  he  could  spring  forward 
again,  this  Pottawatomie  seized  his  bridle.  The 
rider  urged  her  horse,  who  would  have  responded,  and 
carried  her  perhaps  to  safety,  had  not  the  painted 
miscreant  caught  the  wounded  hand,  and  with  a 
wrenching  jerk  brought  her  from  the  saddle  to  the 
ground. 

The  woman  landed  on  her  feet,  and  the  warrior, 
whose  other  hand  still  grasped  the  bridle,  let  go  of 


246  Black  Partridge 

his    prisoner    and    raised    his    tomahawk.     Looking 
him  calmly  in  the  face,  she  said  reproachfully: 

"You  would  not  kill  a  squaw,  who  is  already 
wounded." 

She  remembered  to  have  seen  the  Pottawatomie 
at  the  fort,  although  she  did  not  know  his  name,  nor 
had  she  ever  before  spoken  to  him.  Her  words  were 
English,  but  he  understood  the  appeal.  She  hardly 
expected  mercy  from  him,  but  providentially  her 
prayer  was  uttered  at  the  psychological  moment. 
He  paused  in  the  fearful  act,  and  then  shoved  the 
handle  of  his  tomahawk  back  in  the  girdle  at  his 
waist.  She  followed  up  her  strange  advantage  by 
saying : 

"I  knew  you  would  not  harm  me;  you  are  welcome 
to  my  horse." 

The  savage  captor  completed  his  merciful  act  in  a 
way  which  it  is  hard  to  explain  or  understand.  In- 
stead of  accepting  the  ofifer  of  the  animal,  he  said  : 

"You  ride  boss  —  me  help." 

He  ofiFered  his  hand,  and  with  slight  aid  she  climbed 
into  the  saddle.  Then  he  directed  her  to  ride  in  ad- 
vance, indicating  the  way  by  a  gesture.  It  was  hard 
to  beheve  that  he  meant  to  befriend  her,  but  she 
wisely  obeyed  him.  The  warriors  were  so  numerous 
about  her  that  she  was  at  a  loss  how  to  direct  her 
horse.  Seeing  her  trouble  he  grasped  the  bridle 
rein,  and  began  leading  him  out  on  the  open  plain. 


A  Border  Heroine  247 

Where  every  one  was  so  absorbed  in  the  whirlwind  of 
events,  no  one  paid  attention  for  the  time  to  the  couple. 
That  this  Indian  was  one  of  authority  was  proved  by 
the  manner  in  which  those  who  chanced  to  be  in  his 
way  made  room  for  him.  He  was  probably  a  chief, 
though  of  less  authority  than  Black  Partridge. 

Mrs.  Heald  feared  that  he  meant  to  carry  out  his 
fearful  purpose  when  they  should  get  clear  of  the 
horde,  but  she  did  not  wholly  abandon  hope.  The 
thought  that  came  to  this  remarkable  woman  was: 

"When  he  is  ready  to  use  his  tomahawk  he  will 
let  go  my  bridle;  I  will  then  give  rein  to  my  horse  and 
may  escape." 

But  sooner  than  she  expected  he  released  his  hold. 
Facing  about  he  said: 

"Go  dere  —  head  ob  ribber;  canoe  dere  — go!" 

She  was  not  quite  clear  as  to  what  he  meant,  but 
she  acted  upon  the  advice  without  an  instant's  delay. 
She  was  directed  toward  the  mouth  of  the  river  and 
she  believed  the  warrior  had  some  good  purpose  in 
thus  advising  her.  Being  well  clear  of  the  Indians 
by  this  time  she  struck  her  animal  into  a  swinging 
gallop.  She  glanced  back  to  see  whether  she  was 
pursued,  but  nothing  of  that  nature  appeared.  It 
would  have  caused  her  little  fear  had  she  seen  a  dozen 
Indians  galloping  after  her,  for  she  knew  none  was  so 
well  mounted  as  she,  and  it  would  not  require  much 
effort  to  leave  all  behind. 


248  Black  Partridge 

Her  wound  was  painful,  but  not  dangerous.  It  had 
stopped  bleeding,  and,  like  a  true  heroine  of  the  border, 
she  gave  it  little  thought.  She  maintained  her  rapid 
pace  until  she  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where, 
to  her  astonishment,  she  perceived  the  large  boat 
in  which  the  family  of  the  trader  Kinzie  had  started 
for  St.  Joseph.  They  had  reached  the  point  named, 
when  a  party  of  Indians  appeared  on  the  bank  and 
forbade  them  going  any  farther.  The  escort  did  not 
dare  disobey  the  command,  and  the  craft  was  lying 
near  shore,  awaitirig  with  throbbing  hearts  the  issue 
of  the  fight  that  was  going  on  near  them. 

Mrs.  Heald  was  taken  aboard  and  given  a  warm 
welcome.  It  was  a  relief  to  know  that  she  at  least 
had  been  spared,  when  so  many  had  fallen.  She  was 
obliged  to  leave  her  animal  behind,  and  he  probably 
fell  into  the  possession  of  some  of  the  Indians.  She 
would  have  been  glad  had  the  owner  been  the  warrior 
who  had  shown  her  such  unexpected  mercy,  but 
whether  or  not  such  was  the  fact  she  was  never  able 
to  learn. 

It  may  be  added  that  Mrs.  Heald  lived  nearly  a 
half  century  after  this  incident,  dying  at  an  advanced 
age  in  Chicago.  Her  remafkable  story  was  heard  by 
many  persons  who  are  still  living  there. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THROUGH  THE  FIRE 

If  the  experience  of  Mrs.  Heald  was  trying  to  the 
last  degree,  that  of  Mrs.  Helm,  wife  of  the  second 
ofl5cer  at  Fort  Dearborn,  was  in  some  respects  still 
more  so. 

When,  in  obedience  to  the  urgency  of  Captain 
Wells,  she  separated  from  her  friend,  it  was  with  the 
resolve  to  make  a  similar  attempt  to  hers.  Had  the 
means  been  provided,  this  would  have  been  done  with 
results  that  can  hardly  be  conjectured,  though  it  is 
hard  to  think  of  any  way  by  which  she  could  have 
extricated  herself  from  the  perils  by  which  she  was 
surrounded. 

Brief  as  was  the  distance  she  had  to  pass  to  reach 
the  spot  where  her  horse  had  been  tied  only  a  short 
time  before,  she  was  shocked  to  find  the  animal  dead. 
He  seemed  to  have  been  struck  by  more  than  one 
flying  bullet,  and  lay  motionless  on  his  side  as  he  had 
probably  lain  for  some  minutes.  She  was  so  unpre- 
pared for  this,  that  she  stood  for  several  seconds  amid 
the  fearful  din  and  turmoil,  stunned,  bewildered,  and 
at  a  loss  what  to  do.  She  threw  her  unloaded  gun 
249 


250  Black  Partridge 

aside  as  only  an  incumbrance.  Since  she  could  not 
make  her  intended  dash  on  horseback,  as  she  intended 
to  do,  there  was  but  one  recourse  left  to  her,  —  that 
was  to  try  it  on  foot. 

One  of  the  horrifying  features  of  that  memorable 
struggle  was  that  in  a  twinkling,  as  may  be  said,  the 
fight  became  one  in  which  every  person  had  to  be  for 
himself.  No  one  was  given  the  chance  to  help  another. 
Alas,  in  too  many  cases,  he  could  not  help  himself. 
Captain  Heald  would  have  given  his  life  for  his  wife, 
but  the  opportunity  was  denied  him.  He  could  not 
see  where  she  was,  nor  could  he  guess  what  had  become 
of  her.  The  same  is  to  be  said  of  Lieutenant  Helm. 
He  lost  sight  of  Mrs.  Helm  the  instant  after  she  left 
her  place  at  the  rear  of  the  wagon,  where  she  was  coolly 
firing  upon  the  Pottawatomies,  and  not  until  a  long 
time  after,  when  he  had  abandoned  all  hope,  did  he 
learn  of  her  frightful  experience. 

The  woman  had  hardly  turned  to  carry  out  her 
resolution,  v/hen  she  was  caught  seemingly  in  the 
very  vortex  of  the  maelstrom.  She  could  not  have 
taken  more  than  three  or  four  steps,  on  the  alert  for 
an  opening,  when  a  young  warrior  who  was  on  foot 
leaped  toward  her  with  tomahawk  upraised.  The 
woman  was  a  natural  athlete  and  sprang  aside,  but 
the  blow  fell  on  her  shoulder.  As  he  came  forward, 
she  threw  an  arm  around  his  neck,  and  strove  to  get 
possession   of  his   scalping   knife.     Could   she   have 


Through  the  Fire  251 

done  so  she  would  have  buried  it  in  his  body,  and 
speedily  ended  the  struggle,  so  far  as  that  particular 
miscreant  was  concerned.  She  was  nerved  by  un- 
natural strength  and  came  within  a  hair  of  succeeding, 
but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  an  ordinary  woman 
ever  overcame  a  brawny  warrior  in  a  struggle,  such  as 
lasted  for  a  few  dreadful  moments. 

Mrs.  Helm  must  have  been  slain,  for  the  Indian 
drew  just  far  enough  away  from  her  to  give  free  swing 
to  his  hand,  and  was  in  the  act  of  using  his  tomahawk 
again,  when  the  upraised  arm  was  griped  from  the 
rear,  and  he  was  hurled  to  one  side  by  another  Pot- 
tawatomie, who  shouted: 

"Her  scalp  is  mine!     Leave  her  to  me!" 

The  other  made  a  motion  as  if  to  resent  this  inter- 
ference, but,  recognizing  the  Indian,  slunk  sullenly 
away. 

The  dazed  prisoner  could  offer  no  resistance  and 
meekly  accompanied  her  captor,  who  led  her  in  the 
direction  of  the  lake.  She  believed  he  intended  to 
drovm  her,  but  saw  no  way  of  helping  herself.  Several 
others  who  seemed  to  have  noticed  the  incident  stared 
after  them. 

Mrs.  Helm  knew  enough  Pottawatomie  to  under- 
stand the  fearful  words  that  had  been  uttered  by  her 
last  captor.  She  walked  by  his  side  until  they  came 
to  the  edge  of  the  lake.  Then  he  grasped  her  arm 
and  dragged  her  in  beside  him. 


252  Black  Partridge 

She  did  not  protest,  for  all  hope  was  gone.  When 
the  water  reached  to  her  waist  he  made  as  if  to  force 
her  under.  Her  resistance  was  wholly  instinctive. 
The  water  was  cool  and  grateful,  and,  in  obedience 
to  that  singular  weakness  of  our  nature  which  leads 
us  to  observe  the  most  trifling  incidents  in  moments 
of  greatest  peril,  she  noted  that  the  water  was  washing 
the  partly  coagulated  blood  from  her  wound.  Then 
she  looked  at  two  Indians  who  stood  on  the  shore  and 
watched  her  and  her  captor. 

The  captor  paused  a  moment,  and  angrily  com- 
manded them  to  join  their  comrades  in  their  fight 
with  the  white  men.  One  hurried  off  as  if  scared  by 
the  indignant  words,  but  the  other  held  his  ground. 

The  Pottawatomie  resumed  his  efforts  to  force  her 
head  under  water.  By  this  time  the  resistance  of 
the  prisoner  hardly  showed  itself.  Since  she  must 
die,  death  by  drowning  was  a  thousand  times  pref- 
erable to  what  many  of  her  friends  had  to  suffer. 
Besides,  the  warrior  made  no  offer  to  scalp  her  or 
offer  her  any  indignity. 

Mrs.  Helm's  head  went  under,  but  in  an  instant 
was  Hfted  up  again,  even  before  her  breath  had  gone. 
Again  she  was  "ducked,"  but,  as  before,  the  Potta- 
watomie made  sure  that  she  had  plenty  of  air  to 
breathe. 

Incredible  as  it  at  first  seemed,  the  Indian  was  only 
pretending  to  drown  her! 


Through  the  Fire  253 

When  the  farce  had  lasted  several  minutes  he  led 
her  to  shore.  All  this  time  he  did  not  speak,  and  the 
woman  began  to  ask  herself  whether  she  was  awake 
or  dreaming.  But  she  was  soon  standing  on  dry  land 
in  her  dripping  garments,  and  her  master  released 
his  hold  of  her. 

The  point  at  which  they  had  emerged  was  within 
a  few  paces  of  the  single  Pottawatomie  who  had  re- 
fused to  obey  the  command  to  join  his  comrades 
farther  out  on  the  plain.  The  captor  now  spoke  to 
him  in  his  own  tongue,  which  it  will  be  borne  in  mind 
was  understood  by  the  prisoner: 

"Take  her  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  give  her 
to  the  Kinzies;  if  you  do  not  I  will  kill  you!" 

"I  will  lead  her  there,"  was  the  answer;  then, 
addressing  the  woman,  the  other  said  in  broken  Eng- 
lish: 

"Come  wid  me  —  won't  hurt  —  take  good  care!" 

For  the  first  time,  Mrs.  Helm  looked  intently  into 
the  face  of  the  warrior  who  had  led  her  into  the  lake 
and  then  brought  her  out  again.  Despite  the  fan- 
tastic smearing  of  the  paint  over  his  grim  features, 
she  was  sure  she  saw  the  ghost  of  a  smile  as  their 
eyes  met.  He  did  not  speak,  and  evidently  was  waiting 
for  her  to  say  something. 

"O  Black  Partridge!"  she  exclaimed,  'T  never 
dreamed  it  was  you.''^ 

" Go  with  Red  Feather  —  take  care  —  he  no  hurt!" 


254  Black  Partridge 

"I  will  do  anything  you  wish;  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
thankful  I  am!" 

The  chief  was  turning  away,  when  she  called  im- 
ploringly. 

"Black  Partridge,  you  have  proved  yourself  a  friend; 
won't  you  do  more?" 

"No  'fraid  Red  Feather  —  he  won't  hurt,"  replied 
the  Pottawatomie,  again  smiling  in  his  odd  way  at  her 
alarm,  and  mistaking  her  meaning. 

"It  isn't  for  me  I  am  speaking,  —  it  is  for  my  hus- 
band. Lieutenant  Helm  and  Captain  Heald,  and  Mrs. 
Heald,  and  all  that  you  can  save!  O  my  good  friend, 
you  will  not  forget  them!" 

She  reached  out  to  take  hold  of  his  arm,  but  the 
chieftain  did  not  like  this  display  of  emotion.  He 
moved  away,  without  replying.  The  shots  and  cries 
from  the  scene  of  the  battle  so  near  at  hand  acquired 
a  sudden  interest  for  him.  He  would  not  Hsten  further, 
but,  breaking  into  a  lope,  passed  up  the  bank,  never 
once  looking  back  to  see  what  had  become  of  her  and 
the  escort  to  whom  he  had  entrusted  the  woman. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  Mr.  Kinzie,  the  trader, 
sent  his  family  down  the  river  in  charge  of  two  friendly 
Indians,  the  intention  being  to  padddle  across  the 
lake  to  St.  Joseph.  At  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  a 
party  of  warriors  appeared  on  the  bank  and  ordered 
them  to  go  no  farther  until  they  had  permission.  Red 
Feather,  as  he  had  been  instructed,  conducted  the 


Through  the  Fire  255 

woman  to  this  place,  and  she  was  welcomed  by  the 
little  group  of  fugitives,  who  trembled  for  hours  in 
dread  of  the  fate  that  threatened  them.  Mrs.  Heald 
had  been  there  some  time  before  the  arrival  of  her 
companion. 

In  performing  this  task  it  is  fair  to  believe  that  Red 
Feather  did  an  agreeable  duty,  though  there  were 
few  white  people  toward  whom  he  felt  anything  like 
friendship. 

No  men  could  have  put  up  a  braver  fight  than 
Captain  Heald  and  his  soldiers,  but  after  the  capture 
of  his  horses  and  baggage,  and  the  steady  gains  of 
their  assailants,  the  commandant  saw  that  to  con- 
tinue the  struggle  meant  the  annihilation  of  every 
white  person.  More  than  half  the  soldiers  had  been 
killed,  beside  that  awful  slaughter  of  the  innocents, 
when  he  called  to  Black  Partridge,  just  after  he  had 
come  from  the  lake,  that  he  would  consider  the  ques- 
tion of  surrender.  Had  the  captain  known  of  the 
kindness  that  had  just  been  shown  the  wife  of  Lieu- 
tenant Helm,  and  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Heald  had  also 
been  spared,  he  would  have  felt  less  hesitation  in 
making  the  proposal. 

Black  Partridge  now  assumed  his  role  as  the  true 
leader  of  the  large  band  of  Indians.  He  had  con- 
vinced the  warriors  by  his  conduct  that  he  was  as 
eager  as  they  for  the  destruction  of  the  whole  com- 
pany, and   they  were   ready  to  obey  him  in   every 


256  Black  Partridge 

respect.  If  they  had  passed  beyond  his  control  some 
time  before,  he  had  brought  them  under  it  again, 
through  his  remarkable  tactfulness. 

At  the  shouted  command  of  Black  Partridge,  the 
firing  ceased  almost  immediately.  The  Indians  fell 
back  a  number  of  rods,  but  kept  within  range,  so  that, 
if  called  upon,  they  could  renew  the  struggle  at  any 
moment.  The  lust  of  blood  flamed  in  the  serpent- 
like eyes,  and  no  doubt  many  of  them  believed  the 
surrender,  if  accepted  by  their  leader,  would  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  massacre  of  every  man  and  woman. 
Such  was  the  rule  among  the  aborigines,  and,  with 
a  chieftain  of  less  character  than  Black  Partridge,  it 
would  have  been  so  in  this  case. 

It  was  an  impressive  picture  upon  which  all  now 
looked.  More  than  a  score  and  a  half  of  soldiers 
and  civilians  were  stretched  Hfeless  on  the  sand  among 
the  wagons;  a  number  of  horses  had  been  killed;  a 
solitary  vehicle  contained  the  dozen  innocents  slain 
by  a  single  dusky  fiend ;  here  and  there  lay  the  painted, 
inanimate  forms  on  the  open  plain,  and  beyond  and 
among  them  stood  the  scowling  warriors,  a  number 
on  horseback,  awaiting  the  issue  of  the  lull  that  had 
come  almost  as  suddenly  as  the  fight  itself. 

From  among  this  group  of  Indians  a  single  indi- 
vidual strode  forth.  He  was  in  his  war  paint,  and, 
although  his  knife  and  tomahawk  were  with  him,  his 
rifle  was  left  among  his  followers.     No  flag  of  truce 


Through  the  Fire  257 

was  displayed,  for  the  situation  was  too  well  under- 
stood by  all  concerned  to  make  it  necessary. 

Black  Partridge  walked  forward  with  a  certain 
dignity,  until  within  a  dozen  paces  of  the  surviving 
soldiers,  when  he  stopped  and  waited  for  Captain 
Heald  to  meet  him.  That  officer  had  supposed  that 
the  chieftain  would  come  directly  among  the  white 
men,  and  there  was  no  reason  why  he  should  not  do 
so,  for  he  had  nothing  to  fear.  In  taking  the  course 
which  he  did,  it  looked  as  if  he  wished  to  exchange  a 
few  words  with  the  captain  beyond  earshot  of  the 
others. 

"Well,  Black  Partridge,"  said  the  officer,  as  he 
made  a  mihtary  salute  and  approached  to  within  a 
couple  of  paces,  "it  looks  as  if  we  can  no  longer  help 
ourselves." 

The  couple  were  of  precisely  the  same  height,  and 
each  looked  fixedly  into  the  face  of  the  other.  The 
fact  that  the  Pottawatomie  lowered  his  voice  was 
taken  by  Captain  Heald  as  proof  that  he  meant  their 
talk  to  be  confidential.  While  the  words  were  in 
broken  English  on  the  part  of  the  Pottawatomie,  we 
will  follow  our  rule  of  putting  them  in  smoother  form 
for  him. 

Ignoring  the  remark  just  made.  Black  Partridge 
said: 

"The  wife  of  Captain  Heald  and  the  wife  of  Lieu- 
tenant Helm  have  not  been  hurt." 


258  Black  Partridge 

While  this  was  not  strictly  true,  the  chief  did  not 
mean  to  deceive  the  captain.  He  wished  to  inform 
the  officer  that  the  two  women  had  not  been  slain, 
and  were  in  no  danger  of  losing  their  Uves.  The 
relief  which  the  assurance  gave  cannot  be  imagmed, 
for  both  officers  had  given  up  hope  regarding  their 
wives.  Captain  Heald  did  not  doubt  the  truth  of  the 
assurance  and  the  tears  filled  his  eyes. 

"We  know  that  it  is  due  to  you,  Black  Partridge, 
and  the  lieutenant  and  I  can  never  tell  you  how  thank- 
ful we  are." 

Most  persons  in  the  situation  of  the  commandant 
of  Fort  Dearborn  would  have  tried  to  formulate  some 
excuse  for  the  contradictory  course  of  the  Pottawat- 
omie, with  a  view  of  conciliating  him,  but  the  captain 
had  the  tact  to  refrain.  Black  Partridge  was  not 
seeking  the  commendation  of  him  or  any  other  white 
man.  While  it  must  be  believed  that  the  dusky 
leader  would  have  shown  a  more  friendly  spirit  had 
he  been  at  liberty  to  do  so,  he  was  not  wholly  dis- 
satisfied with  what  had  been  done.  He  had  simply 
gone  out  of  his  way  to  befriend  one  or  two  of  the 
whites,  and  he  was  willing  now  to  obey  to  some  extent 
the  laws  of  civilized  warfare. 

"You  must  surrender,  captain,  —  you  and  all 
your  men." 

"We  will  do  so  on  condition  that  you  spare  our 
lives." 


Through  the  Fire  259 

"I  will  do  that,"  replied  Black  Partridge. 

''That  is  all  I  ask,  —  your  promise  is  enough." 

What  though  the  captain  was  not  fully  satisfied  on 
this  point,  it  would  have  been  untactful  to  show  any 
doubt. 

"Shall  we  be  allowed  to  go  on  to  Fort  Wayne?" 

"You  must  go  back  to  the  fort;  you  may  take  time 
to  bury  your  dead,  and  then  you  and  your  men  will 
march  into  the  fort  again." 

The  simple  negotiations  being  completed,  Captain 
Heald  asked  the  question  that  had  been  in  his  mind 
from  the  first : 

"Black  Partridge,  where  are  my  two  young  friends, 
Jethro  Judd  and  Auric  Kingdon?" 

Plainly  the  chief  was  surprised.  He  replied  that 
he  supposed  they  were  with  the  captain  and  his  men, 
and,  if  they  were  not,  they  had  probably  been  killed 
during  the  fighting. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

BEHIND  THE   RIDGE 

It  will  be  recalled  that  we  left  our  two  young  friends 
in  a  peculiar  situation.  Jethro  Judd,  mounted  on 
his  horse,  had  dashed  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  cowardly 
Miami,  who  was  fleeing  on  the  back  of  the  animal 
that  he  had  stolen  from  Auric  Kingdon.  Jethro 
speedily  discovered  that  the  warrior  was  as  well 
mounted  as  he,  and  pursuit,  therefore,  was  useless. 
He  reined  up  and,  wheeling  about,  faced  his  friend, 
who  was  bringing  up  the  rear  of  the  procession  on 
foot,  with  no  more  chance  of  success  than  a  tortoise 
would  have  in  trying  to  overtake  a  hare. 

"It  looks  as  if  we  had  made  a  mess  of  it,  Jet,"  said 
the  disgusted  Auric,  panting  from  his  exertion;  "the 
loss  of  the  horse  isn't  pleasant." 

"But  you  shouldn't  feel  bad,  for  he  didn't  belong 
to  you." 

"That's  why  I  do  feel  bad;  but,  as  Mr.  Kinzie  says, 
there's  no  use  of  crying  over  spilt  milk;  let's  hurry 
back  and  help  the  folks  all  we  can." 

It  took  only  a  minute  or  two  for  the  youths  to 
discover  that  there  was  little  chance  of  giving  any 
260 


Behind  the  Ridge  261 

kind  of  assistance  to  their  friends  out  on  the  plain. 
When  they  looked  in  that  direction  they  saw  that 
the  Pottawatomies  had  emerged  from  behind  the 
sandy  ridge,  and,  spreading  apart  so  as  to  surround 
the  soldiers,  drawn  up  behind  the  wagons,  were  al- 
ready firing  into  them.  The  defenders,  as  we  know, 
made  a  gallant  though  hopeless  fight. 

With  Jethro  sitting  on  his  horse  and  Auric  standing 
beside  him,  the  two  watched  the  picture  with  breath- 
less interest.  They  saw  the  warriors  circling  around 
on  the  prairie,  with  the  hundreds  of  Pottawatomies, 
some  erect,  others  crouching  on  the  ground,  and  firing 
into  the  primitive  fort  as  fast  as  they  could  load  their 
guns.  To  the  rear  of  these,  other  Indians  were  run- 
ning to  and  fro,  all  adding  to  the  infernal  din.  Some 
of  the  latter  fired  their  weapons  only  at  intervals, 
but  contented  themselves  with  wild  gestures,  leaping 
in  the  air  and  shouting,  as  if  to  urge  their  allies  to 
more  resolute  efforts.  It  was  apparent  that  these 
redskins  had  not  much  stomach  for  the  fight,  and  were 
not  likely  to  have  until  the  excitement  of  the  struggle 
roused  the  lurking  devil  in  their  nature. 

The  boys  were  thrilled  by  the  sight  of  their  friends, 
who  were  fighting  with  the  coolness  of  desperation.  In 
the  hot  sunlight  the  flashes  of  the  guns  did  not  show, 
but  a  blue,  sulphurous  vapor  hung  over  the  battle- 
ground, and  the  lads,  who  were  more  than  a  fourth  of 
a  mile  away,  plainly  caught  the  pungent  odor 


262  Black  Partridge 

"Jet,  there's  no  opening  for  us  to  get  in  there," 
said  Auric,  when  they  had  contemplated  the  strange 
scene  for  a  few  minutes. 

"No;  we  can't  give  the  least  help,  and  it's  sure  death 
to  try  it." 

The  truth  of  this  was  manifest.  To  reach  the 
wagons  enclosed  by  the  circle  of  fire,  the  youths  would 
have  to  pass  through  the  horde  of  furious  Pottawat- 
omies.  To  attempt  this  would  be  like  leaping  over 
a  thousand-foot  precipice  and  hoping  to  escape  un- 
hurt. Not  only  that,  but  the  situation  of  the  two 
was  growing  more  perilous  every  moment.  They  were 
so  near  that  they  would  be  sure  to  draw  attention, 
and  on  that  day  the  redskins  were  thirsting  for  victims 
wherever  they  could  be  found. 

"Auric,"  said  his  friend  from  the  back  of  his  horse; 
"it  won't  do  to  stay  here;  we  offer  too  much  tempta- 
tion for  those  redskins." 

"What  shall  we  do?" 

"If  any  of  them  come  for  us,  you  can  mount  behind 
me,  and  we'll  scoot  after  those  Miamis." 

"Your  pony  won't  have  much  show  if  he  has  to 
carry  double ;  but  I  can't  leave  till  I  see  how  our  folks 
make  out;  there  doesn't  seem  to  be  any  place  for  us 
to  hide." 

"Let's  pass  behind  that  ridge,  where  the  redskins 
gathered  before  the  attack." 

It  was  the  only  thing  the  two  could  do,  and  there 


Behind  the  Ridge  263 

was  some  risk  in  doing  that  much,  for  the  ridge  was 
so  near  the  battle-ground  that  some  of  the  contestants 
were  Hable  at  any  moment  to  pass  over  and  come 
upon  the  youths;  but,  as  Auric  said,  they  could  not 
leave  the  neighborhood  so  long  as  the  fate  of  their 
friends  was  uncertain. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  lads  passed  behind  the 
ridge,  between  the  contestants  and  the  lake,  and,  so 
far  as  they  could  judge,  no  one  had  noticed  their 
action.  The  redskins  were  too  intent  upon  the  task 
before  them  to  pay  attention  to  anything  else.  Jethro 
dropped  from  the  saddle,  leaving  his  horse  free  to  go 
whither  he  chose. 

The  comrades  cautiously  crept  up  the  slope  until 
they  could  peer  over  the  crest  and  view  the  stirring 
scene.  They  hoped  to  witness  the  close  of  the  drama, 
and  were  ready  and  eager  to  cut  in  whenever  the  chance 
offered  for  striking  a  blow  that  could  aid,  even  in  the 
slightest  degree,  their  sorely  tried  friends. 

But  an  unexpected  diversion  prevented  anything  of 
that  nature.  The  two  had  lain  only  a  few  minutes 
on  their  faces,  with  all  their  faculties  centred  in  that 
of  vision,  when  a  soldier  burst  through  the  struggling 
mob  and  sped  across  the  prairie  at  the  highest  bent  of 
his  speed.  A  glance  showed  that  he  was  in  a  blind 
panic  and  had  no  thought  but  the  one  of  getting 
away  from  the  awful  place.  He  must  have  leaped 
from  behind  the  wagons  in  the  midst  of  the  fight,  and, 


264  Black  Partridge 

favored  by  peculiar  circumstances  and  that  strange 
fortune  which  no  one  can  understand,  he  had  found  his 
way  through  the  horde  of  yelling,  screeching,  shooting, 
and  hacking  redskins,  until  he  reached  the  outer  fringe. 
There  he  concentrated  all  his  energies  in  the  single 
one  of  running,  and  that  he  did  run  fast  and  as  never 
before  was  apparent  to  any  one  who  saw  him. 

He  was  a  tall,  well-formed  man  and  he  sped  like  a 
deer,  but  he  had  gone  only  a  little  way  when  a  Winne- 
bago bounded  in  pursuit,  and  it  took  but  a  brief  while 
for  the  pursuer  to  show  that  he  was  fleeter  of  foot  than 
the  fugitive.  For  the  few  minutes  of  the  chase  the 
attention  of  our  young  friends  was  centred  upon  the 
two. 

As  the  white  man  ran,  his  cap  fell  off  and  his  long, 
black  hair  streamed  in  the  wind  caused  by  his  own 
speed.  He  continually  glanced  over  his  shoulder, 
and,  when  he  caught  sight  of  the  warrior  bearing 
down  upon  him,  his  terror  was  pitiful.  He  made  a 
frenzied  leap  as  if  pricked  with  the  point  of  a  sword, 
and  flung  aside  his  musket,  as  if  it  impeded  his  flight, 
which  perhaps  it  did.  He  sawed  the  air  with  his  arms 
which  were  crooked  at  the  elbows,  and  took  tremen- 
dous leaps.  Occasionally  handfuls  of  sand  were  flung 
backward  by  his  heels.  The  scared  face  would  have 
been  white  with  mortal  dread  had  not  the  horrible 
heat  of  the  day  turned  it  crimson,  over  which  the 
perspiration  streamed. 


Behind  the  Ridge  265 

The  Winnebago  ran  with  more  ease.  He  could 
afford  to  do  so,  for  he  had  no  reason  to  fear.  The 
fugitive  was  sure  to  be  overtaken,  and  nothing  could 
save  him  from  the  painted  demon  who  was  exulting 
over  his  triumph.  He  took  long  strides,  and  one  could 
fancy  that  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  the  close  of  the 
tragedy  was  an  exquisite  comedy  to  the  victor. 

As  the  latter  sped  across  the  sandy  plain  he  carried 
his  rifle  in  his  left  hand.  Both  of  our  friends,  glan- 
cing at  him,  saw  him  lay  the  other  hand  on  his  toma- 
hawk, to  be  ready  at  the  right  moment.  He  meant 
to  slay  the  soldier  with  that  implement,  after  which 
he  would  call  his  scalping  knife  into  play. 

The  picture  was  terrifying  in  its  intensity.  The 
white  man  glanced  backward  no  more.  He  knew  the 
merciless  enemy  was  bearing  down  upon  him  with 
the  grim  certainty  of  fate.  Flight  in  reality  was  use- 
less, but  he  could  not  stop  and  bow  his  head  to  his 
doom.  He  must  keep  fleeing,  as  an  animal  does  after 
all  hope  is  gone. 

When  the  attention  of  the  youths  was  first  caught, 
the  wretch  was  making  for  a  point  on  the  ridge  a 
hundred  yards  or  more  away,  but,  in  obedience  to  a 
blind  whim,  he  swerved  in  his  flight  and  headed  almost 
directly  for  the  spot  where  they  were  lying,  with  their 
heads  barely  showing  above  the  crest. 

"That's  good!"  exclaimed  Auric;  "leave  that  In- 
dian for  me." 


266  Black  Partridge 

"If  you  miss,  I'll  drop  him!"  said  his  companion. 

"Don't  you  feel  any  fear  of  my  missing." 

Neither  pursued  or  pursuer  observed  the  youths, 
whose  interest  was  breathlessly  intense  from  the 
beginning  of  the  strange  struggle.  Both  had  decided 
to  interfere,  before  either  spoke.  But  fugitive  and  pur- 
suer were  so  far  off  that  it  was  wise  to  wait  till  the 
latter  came  within  certain  range.  The  change  of 
course  helped  matters,  though  the  soldier  might  take 
it  into  his  head  to  shift  his  line  of  flight  again. 

With  the  white  man  coming  straight  on  the  picture 
was  distressing  beyond  description.  His  crimson  coun- 
tenance gleaming  with  moisture,  his  flying  hair,  his 
protruding  eyes,  his  swinging  arms,  and  the  hopeless, 
despairing  expression  of  the  poor  fellow  would  have 
stirred  pity  in  the  heart  of  a  wild  animal.  His  mouth 
was  open,  and  his  labored  breathing  was  audible, 
as  he  summoned  his  last  energies  in  plunging  up  the 
sandy  slope. 

But  there  was  no  throb  of  pity  in  the  demon,  who 
rapidly  gained  with  every  bound  of  his  tireless  limbs. 
He  had  drawn  his  tomahawk,  and  griped  it  in  his 
right  hand,  ready  for  the  finishing  stroke.  Even  in 
that  dreadful  moment  it  impressed  both  youths  as  re- 
markable that  they  did  not  observe  the  first  glistening 
of  moisture  on  the  countenance  of  the  Winnebago. 
He  could  have  kept  up  his  pursuit  for  miles  under  the 
flaming  sun  without  exhaustion. 


'Good-by,  Winnebago!" 


Page  267 


Behind  the  Ridge  267 

Auric  Kingdon  had  already  covered  the  redskin 
with  his  gun,  slowly  moving  the  muzzle,  as  neces- 
sary, in  order  to  keep  him  covered.  The  fugitive 
did  veer  again,  but  so  slightly  that  he  would  pass  a 
couple  of  rods  to  the  right  of  the  boys.  Jethro  also 
aimed,  ready  to  fire  if  anything  interfered  with  the 
success  of  his  friend.  The  Winnebago  was  no  more 
certain  of  his  victim  than  the  boys  were  of  the 
Winnebago. 

The  panting  soldier  staggered  over  the  narrow 
ridge,  and  started  down  the  slope  on  the  other  side, 
where  the  youths  were  lying.  As  he  did  so,  he  col- 
lapsed and  fell  at  full  length  on  his  face,  his  forehead 
ploughing  in  the  sand,  along  which  he  slid  for  several 
feet.  He  had  reached  the  limit  of  his  struggle  for 
life,  and  lay  motionless  without  the  first  attempt  to 
rise;  he  awaited  the  crash  of  the  uplifted  tomahawk, 
his  eyes  closed  and  his  lips  gasping  a  prayer. 

The  Winnebago  leaped  over  the  crest  of  the  ridge, 
and,  with  tomahawk  raised,  uttered  a  rasping  cry  of 
exultation.  At  that  instant  he  caught  sight  of  the 
two  youths  a  few  paces  away  on  the  ground  with  both 
guns  levelled,  but  he  had  hardly  time  to'  take  in  the 
meaning  of  the  scene,  when  Auric  Kingdon  pressed 
the  trigger. 

"Good-by,  Winnebago!"  he  exclaimed,  and  good- 
by  it  was,  for  the  miscreant  was  slain  so  quickly  that 
he  hardly  knew  what  did  it.    He  emitted  a  single 


268  Black  Partridge 

screech  and  sprawled  forward,  the  gun  flying  from 
one  hand  and  the  hatchet  from  the  other.  So  ener- 
getic was  his  leap,  that  he  lay  near  enough  to  the 
gasping,  half-unconscious  soldier,  that,  had  he  been 
aUve,  he  could  have  touched  him  with  his  outstretched 
hand. 

A  sudden  suspicion  caused  Auric  to  forget  the  rule 
of  reloading  his  gun  before  stirring  from  the  spot 
where  he  had  fired  it.  He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  ran 
to  where  the  redskin  lay.  As  he  did  so,  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  Jethro,  both  crouching  so  as  to  prevent  any 
one  seeing  them  from  the  side  of  the  ridge  toward  the 
battle-ground. 

The  Winnebago,  after  falling,  had  turned  partly 
on  his  side,  so  that  his  countenance,  with  its  daubed 
paint,  was  exposed  to  the  sunlight.  Halting  only  a 
pace  or  two  away.  Auric  leaned  forward  and  peered 
closely  at  it. 

"By  George!  I  thought  so!"  he  exclaimed,  in  an 
excited  undertone. 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Don't  you  see  who  it  is?" 

"Wag-ma- rah!"  replied  the  other  in  a  whisper. 

"Yes;  how  much  he  would  have  preferred  to  bury 
his  tomahawk  in  my  head!"  added  Auric,  with  a  com- 
pression of  his  lips  and  a  flash  of  his  eyes;  "I  hope  he 
knew  me  when  he  turned  his  head  and  looked  into  the 
muzzle  of  my  gun." 


Behind  the  Ridge  269 

There  was  no  mistake  in  the  recognition.  The 
Winnebago  tribe  never  produced  a  more  diabohcal 
miscreant  than  Wag-ma- rah,  and  there  was  something 
fitting  that  he  should  meet  his  fate  at  the  hands  of 
the  youth  whose  life  he  had  sought  so  persistently, 
and  that,  too,  when  such  an  interposition  saved  an 
innocent  man. 

Auric  now  coolly  reloaded  his  rifle,  and  the  two 
gave  attention  to  the  man  whom  they  had  saved  from 
a  shocking  death. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

PRIVATE  DUGRON 

During  these  exciting  moments  the  soldier  lay  as 
if  dead.  His  collapse  was  so  complete  and  his  de- 
spair so  utter,  that  the  report  of  the  rifle  and  the 
shriek  of  the  stricken  Winnebago  seemed  a  part  of 
his  own  dissolution.  He  did  not  look  up  nor  stir, 
nor  did  the  sounds  of  the  voices  near  him  bring  back 
his  scattered  senses. 

Jethro  looked  wonderingly  down  upon  him.  Had  he 
not  seen  his  heaving  sides  he  would  have  believed  he 
had  died  of  fright  and  exhaustion.  A  certain  contempt 
for  the  wild  terror  he  had  shown  stirred  both  youths. 
Auric  touched  him  rather  roughly  with  his  foot. 

"Stir  yourself!  The  Indian  who  was  after  your 
scalp  is  dead!" 

He  had  to  be  addressed  several  times  before  he 
lifted  his  head  and  turned  his  face  toward  the  boys 
standing  beside  him.  His  hurried  panting  rapidly 
subsided,  but  he  was  still  dazed.  He  stared  at  the 
youths  without  speaking.  Then  he  noticed  the 
form  of  the  Winnebago  stretched  at  his  side. 

"You're  the  worst  scared  man  I  ever  saw,"  said 
270 


Private  Dugron  271 

Auric;  "what  made  you  run  from  that  Indian  when 
you  knew  he  would  overtake  you?  Why  didn't  you 
turn  and  have  it  out  with  him  before  all  your  strength 
left  you?" 

Still  silent,  the  fellow  pulled  himself  sufficiently 
together  to  assume  the  sitting  posture  on  the  sand. 
He  looked  from  one  face  to  the  other,  and  then,  as  his 
breathing  became  more  natural,  he  grinned  mirth- 
lessly and  muttered  an  oath. 

"Wal,  if  this  doesn't  beat  the  mischief,  then  my 
name  ain't  Cal  Dugron!  I've  seen  you  yunkers  at 
the  fort,   I  think." 

"I  shouldn't  wonder  if  you  did,"  replied  Jethro; 
"we  have  been  there  a  good  many  times." 

"What  are  you  doing  here?" 

"My  friend  Auric  there  tried  to  convince  that 
Winnebago  that  it  wasn't  best  to  keep  up  his  pursuit 
of  you,  and  it  looks  as  if  he  succeeded." 

"Does  sort  of  look  that  way,"  replied  the  soldier, 
with  a  shudder,  as  he  glanced  at  the  inanimate  form 
beside  him;  "say,  yunkers,  did  you  ever  see  a  bigger 
fool  than  Captain  Heald?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Jethro. 

"Who?" 

"You." 

The  man  showed  he  had  fully  regained  his  wits, 
by  throwing  back  his  head  and  laughing  heartily 
though  silently. 


272  Black  Partridge 

"I'll  be  hanged  if  you're  fur  out  the  way;  I  reckon 
I  did  make  a  show  of  myself,  a  runnin'  away  from  that 
Injin,  —  did  you  say  he  is  a  Winnebago?" 

"He  was  a  Winnebago,  but  he  isn't  much  of  any- 
thing just  now;  I  thought  those  Miamis  were  the  worst 
cowards  I  ever  saw,  but  they  can't  beat  you." 

Somehow  the  boys  could  not  help  expressing  their 
scorn  of  the  figure  the  soldier  made  in  his  headlong 
flight  from  his  comrades.  The  fact  that  he  was  dis- 
posed to  admit  everything  so  cheerfully  did  not  lessen 
their  contempt.  Still  sitting  on  the  ground  he  clasped 
his  arms  about  his  up-drawn  knees  and  gazed  thought- 
fully in  the  direction  of  the  lake,  as  if  communing  with 
himself. 

"I'll  be  shot  if  I  understand  how  it  happened;  I 
was  right  in  among  the  boys  blazing  away  at  the  red- 
skins as  fast  as  I  could  load  and  pull  trigger,  when 
that  Injin  a-laying  there  made  a  leap  from  the  ground 
right  in  front  of  me  where  I  hadn't  seen  him.  He  let 
out  a  yell  as  he  done  so  and  looked  Hke  the  devil  him- 
self. I  wasn't  expecting  anything  of  the  kind,  and 
I'll  own  that  all  my  senses  left  me  in  a  flash;  I  hardly 
know  what  I  done,  but  I  was  that  scared  that  I  thought 
the  whole  party  were  follering  him,  and  would  be 
on  top  of  us  the  next  minute;  so  I  lit  out  and  run  for 
all  I  was  worth." 

"That's  what  you  did,"  said  Auric;  "you  were  the 
only  one  who  did  so;  the  others  had  enough  grit  to 


Private  Dugron  273 

stay  where  they  were  and  where  they  are  still  putting 
up  a  good  fight;  you  ought  to  be  there  doing  your 
part." 

By  this  time  the  fellow  was  himself.  He  looked 
again  into  the  faces  of  the  two  youths  who  now  sat 
down,  and  grinned. 

"I'll  own  up  to  what  you  say,  but  don't  rub  it  in 
too  hard;  I've  been  in  bad  scrapes  before,  but  this  is 
the  first  time  I  ever  got  the  blue  funks;  it  was  the  sud. 
denness  of  the  thing  that  knocked  the  props  from 
under  me.  I'm  wondering  too,"  he  added,  with  an 
increase  of  his  expansive  grin,  "that  if  it's  such  a  crime 
for  me  to  be  here,  and  that  if  the  folks  over  yonder 
need  every  one,  how  is  it  I  find  you  sneaking  behind 
this  ridge  at  this  time." 

"We  have  a  good  explanation,"  repHed  Jethro, 
who  thereupon  made  it  plain  how  he  and  his  com- 
panion were  caught  outside  the  breastworks. 

Further  conversation  awoke  some  respect  for 
Calvin  Dugron.  It  was  clear  from  what  he  said  that 
he  was  the  victim  of  one  of  those  sudden,  unaccount- 
able panics  which  sometimes  seize  the  bravest  men. 
Had  he  been  given  a  few  seconds  in  which  to  prepare 
for  the  rush  of  Wag-ma- rah,  it  may  be  doubted 
whether  he  would  have  fled  at  all.  Rather  he  would 
have  held  his  ground,  and  put  up  as  brave  a  fight  as 
his  comrades.  He  had  now  become  his  natural  self 
and  showed  something  of  the  spirit  of  a  soldier. 


274  Black  Partridge 

Suddenly  the  soldier  glanced  sharply  around  him. 

"Where  the  mischief  is  my  gun?"  he  asked,  as  if 
he  suspected  the  youths  of  hiding  the  weapon. 

"That's  a  fine  question  to  ask,"  repUed  Auric; 
"was  it  loaded?" 

"I  think  so;  do  you  know  anything  about  it?" 

"You  threw  it  away  when  fleeing  from  that  Winne- 


For  a  minute  or  so,  the  man  beheved  the  boys  were 
jesting.  But,  convinced  they  were  in  earnest,  he  crept 
up  the  side  of  the  ridge  and  peered  over.  The  others 
did  the  same,  for  they  wondered,  how  they  had  come 
to  suspend  for  even  a  brief  interval  their  interest  in 
the  fighting  between  the  soldiers  and  their  escort. 
To  their  amazement,  the  conflict  seemed  over.  The 
Indians  were  holding  substantially  the  same  position 
as  before,  but  no  one  fired  a  gun. 

"It  looks  as  if  they  had  surrendered,"  suggested  the 
scared  Jethro. 

"If  they  haven't,  they  soon  will;  what  part  are  we 
to  play  in  it?  What's  the  matter  with  Dugron?" 
suddenly  asked  Auric. 

One  would  suppose  that  the  interest  of  the  soldier 
would  lie  in  the  same  direction  as  that  of  the  youths, 
but  in  looking  toward  the  cluster  of  wagons,  with  the 
red  men  gathered  round,  and  over  the  prairie,  he  had 
caught  sight  of  his  discarded  rifle,  where  he  had  flung 
it,  when  speeding  in  terror  across  the  plain.    The  spot 


Private  Dugron  275 

was  about  a  third  of  the  way  to  where  Captain  Heald 
was  holding  his  negotiations  with  Black  Partridge. 

At  sight  of  the  weapon,  Dugron  uttered  a  forceful 
exclamation,  and,  rising  to  his  feet,  stalked  over  the 
summit  and  down  the  other  side.  He  meant  to  re- 
cover the  gun,  though  he  had  to  walk  straight  toward 
the  Pottawatomies,  and  was  sure  to  draw  attention 
to  himself.  The  startled  Auric  called  to  him  to  re- 
turn, but  he  paid  no  heed. 

"I  wonder  if  he  will  start  and  run  again,"  said  he, 
"if  one  of  the  warriors  takes  a  fancy  to  his  scalp." 

"I  believe  he  is  a  brave  man,  who  gave  way  to  a 
sudden  panic;  watch  him!" 

In  the  interest  of  the  moment,  and  because  of  the 
lull  in  the  battle,  the  boys  kept  their  attention  upon 
the  man,  who  certainly  showed  wonderful  nerve  in 
what  he  did.  He  walked  as  erect  as  if  on  parade, 
and  neither  hastened  nor  retarded  his  footsteps.  He 
acted  like  a  man  who  had  plenty  of  time  at  command 
but  none  to  throw  away,  while,  as  for  fear,  he  was  a 
stranger  to  it. 

On  he  went,  till  he  came  to  where  the  gun  gleamed 
in  the  hot  sunlight.  He  stooped  and,  picking  it  up, 
deliberately  examined  the  lock,  as  if  to  learn  whether 
it  was  injured.  He  found  it  not  only  intact,  but  loaded ! 
At  any  moment,  when  straining  every  nerve  to  escape 
Wag-ma-rah,  he  could  have  wheeled  and  shot  him 
dead.    If  Auric  Kingdon  and  Jethro  Judd  had  been 


276  Black  Partridge 

disgusted  at  sight  of  the  flying  fugitive,  how  did  that 
fugitive  feel  toward  himself,  when  he  realized  the 
whole  grotesque  truth? 

At  this  juncture,  the  youths  were  far  more  nervous 
than  the  man.  They  were  certain  that  his  act  would 
draw  attention,  and  that  not  one,  but  several  of  the 
Pottawatomies  would  give  chase.  Nothing  of  the 
kind,  however,  took  place.  No  doubt  the  lone  figure 
was  observed  by  more  than  one  of  the  warriors,  but 
they  were  too  much  interested  just  then  in  what  was 
going  on  nearer  them. 

On  his  way  up  the  slope,  Dugron  glanced  around 
once,  as  if  to  learn  whether  he  had  drawn  pursuit, 
but  finding  he  had  not,  he  came  over  and  joined  the 
boys  on  the  other  side  of  the  crest. 

"I've  changed  my  style  of  travel  since  I  left  camp," 
was  his  grim  remark. 

"How  would  it  have  been  had  you  been  pursued?" 
Jethro  could  not  help  asking. 

"Don't  think  I'd  show  so  much  hurry,"  was  the 
reply. 

"You  did  the  most  foolish  thing  in  the  world," 
said  Auric. 

"Why  so?  What  good  is  a  chap  in  these  parts 
without  a  gun?" 

"You  could  have  had  his,"  and  the  youth  pointed 
to  the  weapon  which  flew  from  the  hand  of  the  Winne- 
bago when  he  fell. 


Private  Dugron  277 

"I'm  not  used  to  that  and  couldn't  have  done  as 
well  with  it  as  my  own;  —  wait!" 

He  walked  a  few  steps  and  picked  up  the  rifle,  from 
where  it  lay  a  few  feet  beyond  the  body,  and  turned  it 
over  in  his  hand. 

"Just  what  I  expected,"  he  said,  impatiently  fling- 
ing the  weapon  down;  "the  hammer  was  busted  by 
that  fall,  and  the  whole  thing  ain't  worth  a  penny, 
but  the  late  warrior  has  something  else  that's  worth 
taking." 

The  next  proceeding  of  the  soldier  was  characteris- 
tic. He  twisted  the  stopper  from  the  powder-horn 
of  the  Winnebago,  did  the  same  with  his  own,  and, 
fitting  the  narrow,  circular  mouths  together,  poured 
all  the  black  grains  from  one  into  the  other.  The 
leathern  bullet  pouch,  when  rattled,  showed  that  it 
contained  several  spheres  of  lead,  which  were  also 
transferred  to  the  pouch  of  the  soldier. 

"There!"  was  the  cool  remark,  as  the  man  straight- 
ened up;  "I  guess  you  can't  do  us  any  more  good. 
Wal,  yunkers,  what's  the  word?" 

"We  want  to  advise  together,  for  we  don't  know 
what's  best  to  do,"  replied  Auric. 

"Explain." 

Private  Dugron  showed  that  he  had  not  bidden 
good-by  to  all  prudence,  for  now,  instead  of  maintain- 
ing his  upright  posture,  where  his  head  and  shoulders 
were  in  view  from  the  danger  side,  he  lowered  his  body. 


278  Black  Partridge 

In  doing  this,  he  did  it  in  a  pecuHar  manner,  by  a 
series  of  regular,  downward  jerks  until  his  head  was 
below  the  crest,  and  shut  off  from  sight.  His  object 
was  to  imitate  a  man  walking  down  the  slope,  so  that 
if  any  of  the  Pottawatomies  were  looking  in  that 
direction  they  would  think  the  soldier  was  walking. 

Auric  explained  the  problem  that  puzzled  him  and 
his  friend. 

"There's  no  doubt  that  Captain  Heald  has  sur- 
rendered what  is  left  of  his  party  to  Black  Partridge; 
is  it  safe  to  believe  we  are  included?" 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  was  the  emphatic  response  of  the 
soldier,  who  now  raised  his  head  enough  to  peer  over 
the  crest  of  the  ridge. 

"Suppose  we  demand  to  be  included?"  suggested 
Jethro. 

Private  Dugron  turned  and  looked  silently  into  the 
boyish  countenance,  as  if  to  assure  himself  the  youth 
was  in  earnest.     Then  he  swore  impatiently. 

"Demand  to  be  included,"  he  repeated,  "as  if 
Black  Partridge  and  the  rest  of  'em  care  a  dam  for 
your  demand.  The  chances  are  that  they  will  mas- 
sacre every  one  of  the  party  after  they  have  completed 
their  surrender." 

"If  that  is  so  we  wish  to  take  our  chances  with 
them,"  remarked  Auric  with  emotion. 

"It's  worse  with  you  than  with  them,  if  such  a 
thing  can  be,"  explained  their  friend;  "you  see  we 


Private  Dugron  279 

are  all  out  here  beyond  the  varmints;  we  must  pass 
through  their  lines  to  reach  Captain  Heald  and  the 
rest  of  your  friends;  it's  as  sure  as  shooting  that  they 
would  never  let  one  of  us  get  through;  we  should 
be  cut  down  the  minute  we  came  within  reach  of  'em." 

Auric  and  Jethro  could  not  deny  the  truth  of  this 
view.  If  there  was  anything  in  the  vague  claim  that 
they  were  included  in  the  surrender,  the  Pottawatomies 
could  well  say  that  the  three  were  not  members  of 
the  party  of  whites  when  submission  was  made  and 
terms  granted,  but  there  would  never  be  a  chance  for 
making  such  an  appeal.  The  excitement  was  too 
hot  for  anything  of  that  nature.  Private  Dugron 
was  right. 

One  thing  was  evident  to  all  three;  they  must  not 
stay  where  they  were,  for  nothing  was  to  be  gained 
by  so  doing,  and  their  peril  was  increasing  with  every 
passing  minute.  The  discussions  which  had  already 
taken  place  and  which  now  followed  occupied  less 
time  than  would  be  supposed. 

By  stealthily  peering  over  the  ridge,  they  were  not 
long  in  discovering  that  Captain  Heald  had  surren- 
dered himself  and  men  to  Black  Partridge  and  his 
Pottawatomies.  They  had  given  up  their  weapons 
and  were  defenceless.  As  soon  as  the  wagons  could 
be  used  with  the  aid  of  the  crippled  teams,  the  mourn- 
ful procession  started  northward  on  its  return  to  Fort 
Dearborn,  escorted  by  the  treacherous  warriors,  whom 


28o  Black  Partridge 

their  chiefs  found  it  hard  to  hold  in  check.  It  was  a 
dismal  scene  and  the  lads  were  weighed  down  with  a 
great  dread. 

The  natural  question  of  the  youths  was  as  to  what 
was  to  be  gained  by  offering  to  surrender,  as  was  their 
first  intention.  It  was  out  of  their  power  to  give 
the  slightest  help  to  the  others,  and  Private  Dugron 
was  right  when  he  declared  that  such  action  on  their 
part  would  be  the  height  of  folly.  Who  but  a  natural 
bom  idiot  would  submit  to  a  band  of  Indians  on  the 
war  path  when  it  could  be  avoided  ? 

So  it  was  that  the  three  abandoned  all  thought  of 
surrender.  Instead,  they  would  set  their  faces  toward 
Fort  Wayne,  passing  round  the  head  of  the  lake,  and 
making  all  haste  to  the  distant  post.  They  could  not 
use  Jethro  Judd's  horse,  for,  when  they  came  to  look 
for  him,  he  had  disappeared,  having  wandered  off 
while  the  three  were  giving  their  attention  to  more 
important  matters,  and  it  was  now  useless  to  look  for 
him. 

The  immediate  danger  was  from  the  Pottawatomies, 
who,  now  that  the  return  march  to  the  fort  had  begun, 
were  straying  here  and  there,  some  mounted,  but  the 
majority  on  foot.  They  were  ripe  for  mischief,  and 
if  they  once  caught  sight  of  the  three  would  swoop 
down  upon  them.  All  that  separated  the  parties  was 
the  slight  sandy  ridge  and  a  moderate  stretch  of 
prairie.    If  any  of  the  redskins  came  over  that,  it 


Private  Dugron  281 

would  be  all  up  with  our  friends.  The  hope  of  the 
latter  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  prisoners  and  their  escort 
were  moving  northward,  while  their  own  destination 
was  to  the  south. 

The  ridge  to  which  allusion  has  so  often  been  made 
did  not  extend  for  more  than  an  eighth  of  a  mile 
parallel  with  the  lake.  Beyond  that  point  the  prairie 
was  level,  but  at  a  comparatively  short  distance  the 
wood  began.  If  that  could  be  penetrated  without 
detection  the  prospects  of  the  little  party  would  be 
good. 

"Let's  sneak,"  suggested  the  soldier,  who  had  so 
estabhshed  himself  in  the  respect  of  the  youths  that 
they  deferred  to  him. 

"Where  to?"  asked  Auric. 

"As  fur  as  this  ridge  runs;  then  we'll  wait  till  the 
varmints  are  a  good  way  off  and  scoot  for  the 
woods;  when  we  reach  them  we  can  take  care  of 
ourselves." 

"Unless  some  of  the  Pottawatomies  or  Winnebagoes 
are  there." 

"Why  would  they  stay  there,  when  there  is  a  chance 
for  plunder  at  the  fort?  The  only  varmints  likely 
to  be  found  in  them  parts  is  the  Miamis." 

"The  Miamis!"  repeated  Jethro  with  a  sniff  of 
contempt;  "they're  the  worst  cowards  in  the  Terri- 
tory; they  aren't  worth  a  thought." 

"Besides,"    added    the    similarly   disgusted   Auric, 


282  Black  Partridge 

"they  are  still  running  toward  Fort  Wayne  and  must 
be  miles  off." 

"When  I  seen  'em,"  added  Private  Dugron  with  a 
grin,  "they  was  runnin'  like  I  was  a  while  ago,  and  I 
know  they  couldn't  keep  that  up;  they  must  have  had 
to  stop  to  rest;  come  on." 

The  plan  was  followed.  With  the  soldier  in  ad- 
vance they  passed  to  the  base  of  the  ridge  and  kept 
along  that  to  the  southward.  Now  and  then  one  of 
them  peeped  over  the  summit.  The  motley  horde  of 
redskins  were  seen  in  the  distance,  all  moving  north- 
ward with  their  dejected  prisoners.  Thus  the  space 
between  the  three  and  their  friends  steadily  widened. 

All  went  well  until  the  trio  reached  the  point  where 
the  ridge  blended  with  the  plain  and  the  open  con- 
fronted them.  Its  width  was  nearly  a  fourth  of  a 
mile,  and  beyond  that  the  woods  appeared,  stretch- 
ing indefinitely  to  the  southward.  On  their  left  was 
heard  the  low  booming  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  now 
and  then  a  whiff  of  the  cool  air  fanned  their  fevered 
faces,  but  most  of  the  time  the  pitiless  sun  beat  down, 
as  on  the  blistering  wastes  of  Sahara.  But  for  the 
stress  of  the  excitement  which  held  them  up,  they 
must  have  sought  the  shade  or  the  refreshing  embrace 
of  the  inland  sea. 

It  would  seem  as  if  our  friends  had  crossed  the 
zone  of  danger,  and  that  with  the  simplest  prudence 
they   must    reach    the    sheltering    stockades   of    Fort 


Private  Dugron  283 

Wayne.  Certainly  they  could  think  of  no  reason 
why  any  of  the  Pottawatomies  or  Winnebagoes  should 
be  lurking  near,  while  there  was  every  ground  for 
believing  they  had  been  drawn  in  the  direction  of 
Dearborn,  becaGse  of  the  loot  awaiting  them  there. 

But  those  who  live  on  the  frontier  or  in  an  Indian 
country  know  how  deceptive  the  signs  of  peace  and 
security  often  prove.  Private  Dugron  and  his  young 
companions  ceased  to  give  attention  to  Black  Par- 
tridge and  his  captives;  the  peril,  if  there  were  any 
peril,  must  confront  them  to  the  south. 

Not  one  of  the  three  could  discover  anything  amiss. 
The  woods  were  quite  dense  and  contained  consider- 
able undergrowth.  The  trail  connecting  Forts  Wayne 
and  Dearborn  led  through  it,  and  was  more  or  less 
familiar  to  all.  Perhaps  because  of  the  cool,  inviting 
shadow  of  the  forest,  the  study  of  the  wilderness  was 
brief.  The  three  moved  forward,  the  soldier  in  the 
lead  and  all  in  Indian  file. 

As  they  advanced,  they  scrutinized  the  shelter 
closely.  It  would  seem  that  the  lads,  because  of 
their  training,  were  better  skilled  in  woodcraft  than 
the  man.  In  all  respects  except  one  they  were.  He 
was  gifted  with  an  acuteness  of  hearing  remarkable 
in  its  way  and  which  often  gave  him  peculiar  advan- 
tage. Thus  it  came  about  that  they  had  not  pene- 
trated far  into  the  wood,  when,  although  he  was  a 
few  steps  in  advance,  the  private  abruptly  halted. 


284  Black  Partridge 

"I  heard  something,"  he  explained;  "it  isn't  best 
for  us  to  stay  together  like  this,  for  if  one  is  catched 
all  will  be  catched.  'Spose  you,  Auric,  keep  a  little  in 
front,  with  Jet  next,  while  I'll  act  as  rear  guard." 

The  plan  was  so  sensible  that  it  was  adopted  at  once. 
The  boys  remained  in  sight  of  each  other,  as  they 
made  their  way  over  the  trail,  but  the  soldier  fell  so 
far  to  the  rear  that  he  disappeared  altogether,  even 
when  the  path  was  quite  straight. 

Private  Dugron  did  not  hint  to  his  young  friends 
that  the  suspicious  noise  which  he  detected  was  from 
the  rear.  They  did  not  suspect  it  at  the  time,  but 
he  knew  it  meant  that,  despite  all  their  caution,  the 
redskins  were  after  them. 

The  first  startling  warning  to  Auric  and  Jethro 
came  with  the  shout  of  the  soldier  from  some  invisible 
though  not  distant  point  at  the  rear: 

"  Take  to  cover,  yunkers!    The  varmints  are  on  us !" 

Instead  of  running  along  the  trail,  both  turned  off 
and  sought  concealment  in  the  depths  of  the  wood. 
While  doing  so,  they  heard  the  report  of  the  soldier's 
gun,  and  then  all  became  like  the  tomb.  The  Indians, 
contrary  to  their  usual  custom,  were  acting  silently. 
The  youths,  with  throbbing  hearts,  remained  hiding 
behind  the  trees  they  had  selected,  peering  out  among 
the  trunks  toward  the  trail,  and  expecting  each  instant 
to  catch  sight  of  the  Pottawatomies  hunting  for  them. 
But  the  minutes  stretched  into  a  half  hour  and  then 


Private  Dugron  285 

a  full  hour,  without  bringing  the  first  sign.  Then 
with  the  utmost  stealth  the  two  stole  back  alongside 
the  path,  until  they  came  to  the  spot  whence  the  warn- 
ing had  been  sent  to  them.  There  lay  the  body  of 
Private  Dugron,  dead  and  scalped.  He  had  volun- 
tarily given  his  life  for  those  who  had  saved  him,  and 
thereby  proved,  if  the  proof  were  needed,  that  he  was 
not  only  a  brave  but  a  noble  man. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  WARNING  VOICE 

It  was  not  until  some  time  after  the  discovery  of 
the  dead  body  of  Private  Dugron  that  the  youths  fully 
understood  the  chivalrous  gratitude  of  that  gallant 
soldier.  They  could  not  know  that  while  threading 
their  way  through  the  wood  his  keen  sense  of  hear- 
ing told  him  that  danger  threatened  from  the  rear, 
but  they  knew  that  in  some  way  he  had  discovered  or 
at  least  suspected  it.  He  then  deliberately  sent  them 
in  advance  over  the  trail,  while  he  remained  behind 
to  fight  off  the  peril  which  quickly  appeared.  He 
had  striven  against  odds  which  he  must  have  known 
were  fatal.  He  might  have  had  the  help  of  the  boys, 
had  he  called  for  it,  and  they  would  have  been  quick 
to  respond.  The  chances,  however,  were  overwhelm- 
ingly against  such  aid  availing  anything.  So  he 
called  out  his  warning,  fired  his  gun,  and  perished. 

The  tragedy  taught  its  lesson.  If  the  noble  soldier 
had  been  slain,  those  who  did  it  could  not  be  far  off. 
Had  the  youths  been  less  skilful  in  their  reconnois- 
sance,  they  must  have  speedily  suffered  the  same  fate. 
Where  were  the  Indians  who  had  been  checked  by 
286 


The  Warning  Voice  287 

the  brief  fight  of  Dugron?  It  would  seem  they  must 
be  near  at  hand. 

Instinctively  the  two  withdrew  deeper  into  the 
wood,  making  their  way  like  a  couple  of  veteran 
scouts,  until  they  reached  a  point  where  it  was  safe 
to  pause  a  while  to  decide  what  to  do. 

"They  must  have  been  Pottawatomies  or  Winne- 
bagoes  who  belong  to  Black  Partridge's  band,"  said 
Jethro. 

"I  suspected  they  were  Miamis,"  said  Auric;  "for 
it  would  be  just  like  them,  after  running  off  as  they 
did." 

"But  you  remember  that  all  the  Miamis  fled  before 
the  fighting  began;  that  placed  them  between  us  and 
Fort  Wayne;  these  came  from  the  rear." 

"I  guess  you're  right,  but  if  we  go  to  Fort  Wayne 
we  are  sure  to  run  into  some  of  those  Miamis,  and 
they  are  like  so  many  rattlesnakes;  I  can't  help  feeling. 
Jet,  that  the  right  thing  for  us  to  do  is  to  go  back 
to  Dearborn  and  join  the  folks  there." 

"But,  as  poor  Dugron  told  us,  we  can't  do  that 
without  meeting  some  of  the  redskins;  we  shall  be  so 
far  from  Black  Partridge  and  his  chiefs  that  his  war- 
riors won't  allow  us  to  be  classed  with  those  that 
have  been  surrendered  and  spared." 

"How  do  you  know  they  have  been  spared?"  was 
the  significant  question  of  Auric. 

"We  can't  know  for  certain  for  some  time  to  come. 


288  Black  Partridge 

but,  if  they  had  begun  massacring  the  prisoners, 
some  of  them  would  have  managed  to  get  away  and 
would  have  fled  in  this  direction,  but  we  haven't 
caught  a  sign  of  a  fugitive." 

After  talking  further,  the  boys  agreed  that  they 
would  make  every  effort  to  join  their  friends  at  Dear- 
bom.     Jethro  named  a  deciding  factor  in  the  question. 

"No  matter  what  happens,  I  don't  believe  they  will 
kill  Mr.  Kinzie;  he  has  too  many  friends  among  the 
Indians;  he  will  be  allowed  to  go  back  to  his  house 
and  no  one  will  harm  him  there;  we  will  wait  till  night 
and   then   steal  over  to  him." 

"It  will  be  ticklish  work,  but  I  think  as  you  do, 
that  it's  the  right  thing.  I  wish  his  folks  could  be 
there  with  him,  but  they  must  be  well  on  their  way  to 
St.   Joseph  by  this  time." 

Naturally  the  boys  could  not  know  that  the  boat, 
as  has  been  told,  had  been  stopped  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river  and  never  went  beyond  that  point. 

You  will  bear  in  mind  that  Jethro  and  Auric  were 
well  to  the  south  of  Fort  Dearborn,  and  a  tramp  of 
several  miles  was  necessary  to  reach  the  home  of  the 
trader.  It  was  impossible  to  do  this  in  the  daytime 
without  detection,  and  the  same  danger  menaced  them 
to  a  less  degree  at  night.  But  they,  and  especially 
Jethro,  were  famiHar  with  the  region,  and  were  hopeful 
that  they  could  outwit  the  redskins  who  would  not 
know  of  any  such  attempt  on  their  part. 


The  Warning  Voice  289 

Without  dwelling  upon  the  wearisome  hours,  it 
may  be  said,  therefore,  that  the  comrades  withdrew 
a  little  farther  into  the  wood,  and  patiently  waited 
until  the  oppressive  summer  day  drew  to  a  close. 
Stretched  out  in  the  twilight  of  the  woods,  they  were 
able  to  spend  most  of  the  afternoon  in  sleep.  Thus 
they  gained  the  needed  strength  for  the  ordeal  before 
them.  The  only  trouble  was  that  they  had  not  eaten 
a  mouthful  since  early  that  morning.  That,  however, 
was  not  so  serious  as  might  be  supposed.  The  sultry 
temperature  and  the  woful  incidents  of  the  day  were 
not  calculated  to  give  one  an  appetite.  Jethro  re- 
called that  not  far  in  the  direction  of  the  lake  he  had 
once  gathered  blackberries.  He  led  the  way  to  the 
same  spot,  and  they  found  such  an  abundance  of 
luscious  fruit  that  they  fully  satisfied  their  hunger. 

"That  will  serve  till  to-morrow,"  said  Jethro  with 
no  little  satisfaction;  "and  I  hope  we  shall  eat  the 
next  meal  at  Mr.  Kinzie's  table." 

The  lads  had  agreed  upon  their  course.  Instead 
of  keeping  close  to  the  lake  they  circled  far  to  the 
westward.  Their  intention  was  to  flank  the  battle- 
ground by  so  wide  a  margin  that  there  would  hardly 
be  a  possibility  of  meeting  any  of  the  Indians.  The 
hope  of  doing  this  was  reasonable,  for  there  was  no 
conceivable  cause  why  any  of  the  marauders  should 
linger  in  that  section. 

The  journey  was  begun  as  soon  as  night  was  fully 


290  Black  Partridge 

come,  and  before  the  brilliant  moon  had  risen.  The 
woodcraft  of  the  boys  led  them  to  go  farther  to  the 
west  than  they  had  planned.  It  was  wise  to  err  on 
the  side  of  extreme  caution. 

As  the  two  walked  side  by  side  over  the  sandy  plain, 
each  carrying  his  loaded  rifle  in  a  trailing  position 
and  talking  in  whispers,  they  scanned  the  gloom  on 
every  side.  There  could  be  no  absolute  certainty 
that  enemies  were  not  near.  If  the  youths  were  dis- 
covered, their  situation  would  be  virtually  hopeless, 
for  there  was  no  immediate  refuge  within  reach,  and 
they  had  no  means  of  fortifying  themselves  even  in  the 
crudest  manner.  They  were  heading  toward  the 
woods  to  the  north,  and  which  continued  almost  to 
the  home  of  trader  Kinzie.  That  shelter  once 
reached,  they  would  feel  that  the  real  crisis  was  over. 

The  couple  walked  briskly,  as  all  boys  do  when 
passing  a  dangerous  spot,  and  their  flitting  glances 
took  in  every  point  in  the  field  of  vision.  The  pro- 
found silence  that  reigned  after  the  fearful  turmoil 
of  the  forenoon  was  more  impressive  because  of  the 
contrast. 

The  two  were  advancing  in  this  cautious  manner, 
neither  having  spoken  for  some  minutes,  when  Jethro 
suddenly  griped  the  arm  of  his  companion,  who, 
like  him,  instantly  halted. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Auric,  in  an  almost  inaudible 
whisper. 


The  Warning  Voice  291 

By  way  of  answer,  Jethro  pointed  a  little  to  the 
right  of  the  course  they  were  following,  adding  in  the 
same  guarded  undertone : 

"I  think  some  one  is  out  there." 

Gazing  intently  at  the  point,  it  seemed  as  if  there 
was  a  slight  deepening  of  the  gloom,  but  neither  could 
see  clearly  enough  to  make  sure.  The  lads  showed 
their  training  in  the  ways  of  the  wood  by  doing  some- 
thing at  the  same  moment  and  without  either  influen- 
cing the  other.  They  softly  lay  down  and  pressed 
their  ears  to  the  ground. 

Jethro  was  right  in  his  suspicion.  Through  the 
better  conductor  afforded  by  the  earth  they  heard 
the  faint  but  distinct  thump  of  a  horse's  hoofs.  The 
sound  showed  there  was  only  a  single  animal,  though 
others  might  well  be  within  call. 

Jethro  raised  his  head  and  looked  toward  the  spot 
where  the  vague  form  had  caught  his  eye. 

"He's  coming  this  way  as  sure  as  a  gun!"  he  softly 
exclaimed;  "shall  we  make  a  run  for  the  woods? 
They're  not  far  off." 

"He  may  change  his  course  and  pass  without  seeing 
us." 

"His  horse  won't." 

"Well,"  was  the  significant  remark  of  Auric;  "each 
of  our  guns  is  loaded." 

"What  about  the  others?" 

"There  aren't  any  others  near  enough  to  count; 


292  Black  Partridge 

after  we  have  dropped  this  redskin,  it  will  be  time 
enough  to  dash  for  the  shelter." 

The  plan  was  the  best  that  could  be  formulated. 
Both  lay  flat  on  the  sand  and  fixed  their  eyes  on  the 
horseman  whose  outlines  could  be  distinguished  so 
clearly  as  to  prove  he  was  approaching.  The  animal 
was  slowly  walking,  and  headed  straight  for  the  pros- 
trate figures  in  the  sand. 

Each  lay  with  his  gun  ready  for  instant  use.  Sud- 
denly Jethro  touched  the  leg  of  his  companion  with 
his  toe.  Without  any  apparent  cause  the  animal 
sheered  to  the  left.  While  he  must  necessarily 
approach  closer  to  the  lads,  yet  each  now  felt  the  hope 
that  the  redskin  would  not  perceive  them.  The 
same  could  hardly  be  expected  of  the  horse. 

Just  as  the  youths  expected,  the  animal  at  the  moment 
he  came  opposite  the  silent  forms  in  the  sand  pricked 
his  ears  and  whinnied :  he  had  scented  them.  The  next 
natural  proceeding  was  for  the  warrior  to  change  his 
course  and  ride  forward  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  alarm 
of  his  horse.  Instead  of  doing  that,  he  jerked  the 
head  of  the  beast  to  the  left,  struck  his  ribs  with  his 
heels,  and  galloped  out  of  sight.  Fortunately  for  him 
he  was  too  scared  to  investigate.  The  first  attempt  to 
do  so  would  have  been  the  signal  for  his  death. 

"We're  more  lucky  than  I  expected,"  remarked 
Jethro,  as  the  two  came  nimbly  to  their  feet  and  re- 
sumed their  walk  toward  the  wood. 


The  Warning  Voice  293 

"The  redskin  couldn't  have  seen  us." 

"No,  but  he  knew  something  was  there  and  he 
didn't  fancy  it.  We  have  been  mighty  lucky  so  far, 
Auric,  but  it  is  still  a  long  way  to  Mr.  Kinzie's  home." 

"We  must  be  close  to  the  woods." 

"Only  a  few  rods  —  quick!  run!^' 

It  was  the  sound  of  galloping  hoofs  that  caused  this 
exclamation.  They  had  congratulated  themselves  too 
soon.  Not  one  Indian  but  eight  or  ten  were  bearing 
down  upon  them  at  full  speed.  The  youths  bounded 
away  like  a  couple  of  deer,  their  pursuers  so  near  and 
coming  with  such  haste  that  they  were  sure  to  over- 
take them  before  they  could  reach  the  shelter,  even 
though  it  loomed  up  in  sight. 

I  have  said  more  than  once  that  Auric  Kingdon 
and  Jethro  Judd  had  been  trained  to  exceptional 
skill  in  woodcraft,  and  I  think  it  will  be  admitted 
that  proofs  have  been  given  of  their  ability  in  that 
line.  The  most  striking  exhibition  now  occurred. 
In  describing  what  took  place,  when  a  party  of  Pot- 
tawatomie horsemen  dashed  after  them,  bear  in  mind 
that  neither  youth  spoke  a  word.  They  acted  in  per- 
fect unison,  they  did  exactly  the  right  thing  at  the 
right  moment,  and  that  without  the  slightest  prompt- 
ing of  one  by  the  other. 

They  ran  at  the  highest  bent  of  speed  until  within 
a  few  rods  of  the  wood,  when  they  saw  they  would 
not  be  able  to  reach  the  refuge  in  advance  of  their 


294  Black  Partridge 

pursuers.  Instantly  they  stopped  short,  wheeled  about, 
brought  their  guns  to  their  shoulders,  took  quick  aim 
and  let  fly.  A  rasping  cry,  and  the  sight  of  one  war- 
rior plunging  headlong  from  his  animal  showed  the 
result  of  this  unexpected  act.  If  a  second  redskin 
was  struck,  he  gave  no  evidence  of  it. 

Because  of  the  fire,  the  horsemen  were  thrown  into 
confusion  and  the  pursuit  was  checked  for  a  few 
seconds.  Those  few  seconds  were  what  the  fugitives 
needed,  for,  no  sooner  were  their  guns  discharged, 
than  they  turned  again  and  a  few  bounds  carried  them 
into  the  protecting  gloom  of  the  wood.  You  will 
agree  that  the  occasion  was  one  of  those  rare  ones 
when  neither  could  follow  the  rule  of  the  frontier 
which  requires  one  to  hold  his  position,  after  using 
his  gun,  until  it  is  reloaded. 

It  was  this  prompt  action  which  saved  the  two  for 
the  time.  They  deserved  full  success,  but  did  not 
attain  it.  By  one  of  those  perversities  of  fate  for  which 
there  is  no  accounting,  six  or  eight  Indians  happened 
to  be  in  the  wood,  directly  behind  the  lads,  and  were 
probably  making  their  way  to  the  open  plain.  What 
complication  could  be  more  remarkable  than  that  our 
two  young  friends  should  thus  be  caught  exactly 
between  two  fires? 

It  was  so  dark  under  the  thick  foliage,  the  moon 
having  hardly  appeared  in  the  horizon,  that  Auric 
and  Jethro  could  not  see  each  other,  although  their 


The  Warning  Voice  295 

elbows  almost  touched.  For  the  moment  they  were 
at  their  wits'  end.  It  seemed  as  if  they  could  do 
nothing,  for  whichever  way  they  turned  they  were 
sure  to  run  against  one  or  more  of  their  enemies. 
The  horsemen,  having  reached  the  edge  of  the  wood, 
flung  themselves  from  their  animals,  and  with  httle 
hesitation  pressed  in  among  the  shadows.  They  ex- 
changed signals  with  the  new  arrivals,  and  an  under- 
standing was  reached  with  only  a  few  seconds'  delay. 

Had  the  boys  dreamed  of  anything  of  this  nature, 
they  would  have  changed  the  line  of  their  flight  and 
thus  gained  a  chance  to  do  some  desperate  dodging 
among  the  trees.  But  it  was  too  late  now  for  any- 
thing of  the  kind. 

"Let's  climb  among  the  limbs,"  whispered  Jethro, 
who  could  think  of  nothing  else. 

"They  will  hear  us;  wait  a  minute  before  we  try 
it." 

Jethro  held  his  ground,  not  daring  even  to  attempt 
to  reload  his  rifle.  In  the  oppressive  stillness,  when 
it  seemed  that  the  beating  of  his  heart  must  betray 
him  to  the  redskins  who  were  on  every  side,  he  fancied 
he  heard  a  gentle  rustUng  of  the  leaves  at  his  feet. 
He  could  not  guess  its  meaning,  and  did  not  ask 
his  comrade. 

It  was  at  this  crisis,  when  the  nerves  of  the  youths 
were  keyed  to  the  tensest  point,  that  an  angry  voice 
shouted  near  at  hand: 


296  Black  Partridge 

"Dogs  of  Pottawatomies!  Do  you  not  know  the 
whites  have  surrendered  and  their  lives  must  be  spared  ? 
Go  back  to  the  camp  at  the  fort  and  get  your  share 
of  the  goods  that  await  you!  If  you  do  not  go  now, 
none  shall  be  given  you!  It  is  Black  Partridge 
who  speaks!" 

The  effect  was  remarkable.  How  came  the  dreaded 
chieftain  of  the  Pottawatomies  to  be  on  the  spot  at 
the  critical  moment?  How  was  it  he  intervened 
when,  had  he  delayed  doing  so  for  a  few  precious 
minutes,  nothing  could  have  saved  the  two  youths? 

The  warriors  did  not  try  to  answer  the  question. 
They  knew  their  leader  had  a  way  of  appearing  at 
the  most  unexpected  times,  and  what  took  place  was 
only  a  repetition  of  what  had  occurred  before.  They 
might  have  mutinied  earlier  in  the  day,  but  they  dared 
not  do  so  now.  Moreover,  it  was  not  hkely  he  was 
alone.  He  was  ready  to  visit  swift  vengeance  upon 
any  one  who  dared  gainsay  him. 

Therefore,  the  warriors  obeyed  the  command  on 
the  instant  without  question.  The  horsemen  slunk 
out  of  the  wood  to  where  they  had  left  their  animals, 
and  where  the  motionless  form  of  one  of  their 
number  lay  stretched  on  the  earth.  Those  on  foot 
stealthily  followed,  and  all  met  on  the  margin  of  the 
prairie. 

The  boys  were  quick  to  take  advantage  of  the  chance 
thus  given  them.    A  few  whispered  words  and  they 


The  Warning  Voice  297 

stole  from  the  spot,  not  pausing  until  they  felt  it  safe 
for  them  to  stop. 

"Jet,"  said  his  friend,  "did  you  understand  those 
words  of  Black  Partridge?" 

"You  know  I  can't  speak  a  word  of  Pottawatomie." 

Auric  translated  them  for  him,  and,  as  he  did  so,  he 
chuckled : 

"Did  you  recognize  his  voice?" 

"I  wasn't  sure  whether  it  was  his  or  one  of  the  red- 
skins who  were  on  all  sides  of  us,  but  I  know  now 
whose   voice   it   was." 

"Whose?" 

"The  name  of  the  chief  was  Auric  Kingdon;  you 
did  a  mighty  cute  thing,  old  fellow;  I  wonder  they 
were  deceived." 

"They  won't  be  for  long;  Jet,  you  ought  to  learn 
Pottawatomie;  what  would  have  become  of  us  if  I 
hadn't  known  their  lingo!     I'll  give  you  lessons." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

CONCLUSION 

The  rustling  which  Jethro  had  heard  at  his  feet 
was  caused  by  his  companion,  who  deemed  it  better 
for  the  success  of  his  daring  trick  that  he  should  be 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  spot  when  he  resorted  to 
it.  He  was  familiar  enough  with  Black  Partridge 
to  give  a  fair  imitation  of  his  voice,  though,  as  he 
feared,  it  did  not  take  the  Pottawatomies  long  to 
detect  the  clever  deception  practised  upon  them. 
More  than  one  knew  of  the  remarkable  lingual  ability 
of  the  youth  from  Fort  Wayne,  while  it  is  to  be  be- 
lieved that  others  observed  the  slight  difference  in  the 
tones.  The  majority,  however,  were  misled  just  long 
enough  to  give  the  youths  the  few  minutes  to  place 
themselves  beyond  danger  of  detection  from  this 
particular  band  of  redskins. 

But  they  well  knew  the  dangerous  road  which 
remained  to  be  travelled.  Three  separate  times  it 
looked  as  if  discovery  could  not  be  averted,  but  they 
were  fortunate  beyond  their  expectations,  and  finally 
reached  the  home  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  where  it  may  be 
said  their  danger  was  over  for  the  time.  They  found 
298 


Conclusion  299 

the  trader  seated  on  the  piazza  of  his  home,  smoking 
his  pipe,  while  within  the  spacious  dwelling  every  other 
member  of  the  family  was  asleep,  after  the  woful  experi- 
ences of  the  day.  In  addition  to  his  own  precious 
household,  Mrs.  Helm  and  several  other  women  had 
been  brought  in  during  the  afternoon. 

The  depression  of  spirits  on  the  part  of  the  trader 
was  caused  not  only  by  the  great  tragedy  itself,  but 
by  the  belief  that  Auric  and  Jethro  were  among  the 
victims.  He  Hstened  with  profound  interest  to  their 
story  and  uttered  an  expression  of  devout  gratitude 
over  their  wonderful  fortune. 

"Others  will  be  happy  when  they  meet  you  in  the 
morning.  But  you  must  be  hungry,  boys,"  added 
the  trader,  with  the  hospitality  that  was  one  of  the 
characteristics  of  those  who  dwelt  on  the  frontier. 

"  We  had  a  meal  some  hours  ago  and  care  for  nothing 
more;  we  hope  to  sit  at  the  board  with  you  at  break- 
fast, as  we  have  done  so  many  times." 

Seated  thus,  with  the  noise,  the  passing  to  and  fro, 
the  confusion  and  all  the  signs  of  the  disastrous  tragedy 
across  the  river,  where  the  captured  fort  and  out- 
buildings stood,  the  trader  gave  his  narrative  of  the 
dismal  experiences  of  the  day. 

Although,  as  we  know,  the  boat  containing  his 
family,  Mrs.  Helm  and  other  friends  was  stopped 
and  held  at  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  none  of  the  in- 
mates was  harmed,  and  all  were  allowed  to  return 


300  Black  Partridge 

to  Fort  Dearborn  that  afternoon.  Their  lives  were 
spared  because  of  the  high  regard  Mr.  Kinzie  had 
won  among  the  Indians. 

Captain  Heald  surrendered  to  Black  Partridge,  for 
the  reason  that  nothing  else  was  left  for  him  to  do. 
The  chieftain  promised  to  spare  the  lives  of  all  the 
whites  and  he  kept  the  promise,  although  more  than 
once  his  bloodthirsty  warriors  threatened  to  get  away 
from  him  and  to  complete  the  massacre  that  had  been 
begun  earher  in  the  day. 

When  the  prisoners  had  given  up  their  arms  they 
were  marched  back  to  the  Indian  encampment.  In 
the  fight  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  twenty-six  soldiers, 
twelve  militiamen,  two  women,  and  twelve  children 
were  killed.  Among  the  massacred  was  the  surgeon. 
Inasmuch  as  many  were  wounded,  Mr.  Kinzie  took 
the  place  of  the  physician  and  extracted  a  good  many 
bullets  with  his  penknife.  He  did  his  work  with  a 
skill  that  won  the  admiration  even  of  the  Indians, 
who  had  never  seen  anything  of  the  kind  done. 

We  have  told  of  the  wounding  of  Mrs.  Heald. 
Her  husband  was  also  badly  hurt.  The  two  were 
paddled  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph,  where  they 
were  cared  for  by  a  trader.  When  they  had  partly 
recovered,  Captain  Heald  hired  a  Frenchman  to  take 
him  to  Mackinaw,  and  some  time  later  he  was  ex- 
changed. The  remaining  prisoners  after  a  time  were 
exchanged. 


Conclusion  301 

Fort  Dearborn  was  plundered  and  burned  the  next 
morning.  Mr.  Kinzie  found  matters  so  threatening 
that  he  decided  to  abandon  his  home  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  crossed  the  lake  to  St.  Joseph  and 
thence  made  his  way  to  Detroit.  Among  the  friends 
who  accompanied  him  were  Auric  Kingdon  and 
Jethro  Judd.  The  following  year,  both  boys  enlisted 
in  the  service  of  their  country,  and  passed  through  the 
war  without  a  wound.  Auric  served  under  the  com- 
mand of  his  father,  who  was  slain  at  the  battle  of 
the  Thames,  when  Tecumseh,  the  famous  Shawanoe 
chieftain,  fell.  One  of  the  singular  facts  connected 
with  Auric  and  Jethro  was  that  both  were  living  in 
Cljicago  when  the  stupendous  conflagration  of  October, 
1 87 1,  occurred.  They  were  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances, and  lost  every  penny  they  possessed  in  the 
world.  But  each  was  the  father  and  grandfather  of  a 
goodly  number  of  descendants,  who  gladly  seized  the 
opportunity  to  show  their  love  for  the  venerable  men 
who,  in  their  earher  years,  suffered  and  did  so  much 
for  their  country.  Jethro  died  the  year  following, 
but  Auric  did  not  pass  away  until,  hale,  genial,  and 
contented,  he  was  able  to  look  back  over  more  than 
fourscore  years  of  "duty  well  done." 

The  region  about  the  ruins  of  Fort  Dearborn  was 
deserted,  even  by  the  fur  traders  and  hunters,  until 
1 81 6,  when  the  fort  was  rebuilt  and  occupied  by 
United  States  troops  until  1837.     In  that  year  it  was 


302  Black  Partridge 

abandoned  because  the  Indians  had  removed  farther 
westward.  The  old  blockhouse  was  demohshed  in 
1856.  It  stood  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  a  little 
east  of  where  Rush  Street  Bridge  was  afterwards 
built.  One  old  dilapidated,  decaying  building  stood 
until  the  great  conflagration,  when  the  last  relic  of 
military  rule  was  swept  away. 

THE  END. 


Boons  BY 

coloni:l  h.  r.  Gordon 


LOGAN,  THE  MINGO 

A  Story  of  the  Frontier,     izmo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  illus- 
trated       $1.50 

RED  JACKET,  THE  LAST  OF  THE  SENEGAS 

i2mo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  illustrated  .         .         .         .     $1.50 

An  exciting  story  of  scouts  and  Indians  in  the  expedition  sent  against  the 
Six  Nations  in  the  year  1779. — The  Outlook. 

A  regular  Indian  story  is  "  Red  Jacket,  the  Last  of  the  Senecas,"  by  Colonel 
H.  R.  Gordon,  author  of  three  other  popular  books  of  Indian  life  and  adven- 
ture. The  scene  is  laid  in  central  and  western  New  York  and  covers  the  in- 
vasion of  the  country  of  the  Six  Nations  by  General  Sullivan  in  1779. — 
Boston  Transcript. 

PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS 

A  Tale  of  the  Siege  of  Detroit.     i2mo,  cloth,  gilt  top, 
illustrated $1.50 

It  presents  a  skilful  study  of  the  famous  Indian's  individuality,  conveyed 
without  sacrificing  the  rapid  movement  and  engrossing  interest  of  the  narra- 
tive. And  both  as  bearing  upon  history  and  as  an  interpretation  of  character 
the  book  is  of  a  high  order,  while  its  interest  grows  to  the  close. — Congrega- 
tionalist. 

OSCEOLA,  CHIEF  OF  THE  SEMINOLES 

Illustrated.     i2mo,  cloth,  gilt  top        .         .         .     $1.50 

There  are  no  tales  that  interest  boys  more  than  Indian  tales,  and  this  is  one 
of  the  best  sort,  exciting  and  varied,  yet  founded  on  fact  and  life-like. — N.  Y. 
Observer. 

This  lively  and  adventurous  tale  of  the  Seminole  War  will  delight  the 
hearts  of  all  American  boys.  We  are  glad,  too,  to  observe  that  the  gallant 
author  has  the  courage  to  tell  the  truth  of  the  base  treachery  by  which  the 
great  chief  was  ultimately  captured.  We  wish  there  were  more  books  like 
this  for  boys;  and  we  cannot  close  without  paying  our  compliments  to  the 
publishers  on  the  pleasing  dress  in  which  they  have  given  it  to  the  public. — 
Church  Standard. 

TECUMSEH,  CHIEF  OF  THE  SHAWANOES 

izmo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  illustrated,  312  pages  .     $1.50 

Colonel  Gordon  contributes  a  well-written  story  of  the  famous  Indian 
chief  "  Tecumseh,"  which  is  an  important  book  for  every  boy  and  girl  to  read 
carefully.  It  is  far  more  than  a  book  of  entertainment,  it  is  history  told  in  a 
most  fascinating  way  and  full  of  information. — Churchman. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  life,  action,  stirring  adventure  in  the  story,  with 
much  desirable  historical  pabulum. — Buffalo  Commercial. 


E.  P.  DUTTON  &  CO.,  Publishers 
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BOB  KNIGHT'S  DIARY  AT  POPLAR 
HILL  SCHOOL 

WITH    SKETCHES    BY    BOB 

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tions and  broken  resolutions,  squabbles  and  reconciliations, 
through  all  a  good  heart  and  a  clear  conscience. — Congre- 
gationalist. 

"Bob  Knight's  Diary,"  kept  at  Poplar  Hill  School  and  il- 
lustrated by  Bob's  own  sketches,  is  a  book  young  boys  will 
find  entrancing,  as  it  tells  about  the  harmless  but  mirthful 
pranks  of  some  jolly  schoolboys — healthy,  normal  boys,  with 
lusty  appetites  for  fun  and  fighting,  and,  it  must  be  admitted, 
rather  imusual  diligence  at  lessons. — Detroit  Free  Press. 

Thoroughly  a  boy's  book,  with  a  boy's  drawings  and  a  boy's 
fancies  and  fears,  and  faults  and  follies.  Bob  is  human 
throughout,  very  much  alive  and  altogether  natural. — Church 
Standard. 

It  has  been  some  time  since  a  boy's  book  has  reached  us  so 
genuinely  interesting  as  "  Bob  Knight's  Diary."  The  volume 
is  illustrated  with  a  series  of  pen  drawings  by  Bob,  which  are 
in  full  spirit  with  the  text  and  equally  as  clever.  There  is  a 
freshness  and  vigor  about  the  volume  altogether  unusual  in 
the  average  boy's  book. — Philadelphia  North  American. 

He  gives  us  pictures  of  each  of  his  schoolmates;  of  the 
teacher;  of  the  cook;  of  the  tramp,  the  hermit,  and  more 
things  than  anybody  but  a  boy  could  think  of.  Bob's  diary 
is  excellently  put  together.  Its  contents,  with  those  "illus- 
trations," make  the  ftmniest  reading  we  have  seen  in  many  a 
day.  All  the  funny  things  that  happen  to  schoolboys,  from 
doughnuts  to  burglars,  are  here  told  and  pictured. — Living 
Church. 


E.  P.  DUTTON  &.  CO.,  Publishers 
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Boons   BY   PAUL   CRESWICUL 


ROBIN  HOOD  AND  HIS  ADVENTURES 

8vo,  cloth,  gilt  top $2.50 

Fully  illustrated  in  colors,  and  black  and  white  by  T. 
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To  the  boy  mind  there  is  no  more  interesting  subject  than 
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Mr.  Creswick  has  made  a  thorough  study  of  his  subject  from 
all  sources  and  we  believe  he  has  written  the  best  boy's  ren- 
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HASTINGS,  THE  PIRATE 

i2mo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  illustrated  by  T.  H.  Robinson. 

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Full  of  life  and  fire.  Reproduces  the  far  past  with  vividness.  The  illus- 
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This  story,  so  worthy  the  telling,  has  been  set  forth  with  stirring  words  and 
vigorous  speech  in  this  volume  so  appropriately  bound  and  illustrated.  This 
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UNDER  THE  BLACK  RAVEN 

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Writers  of  juvenile  fiction  are  awakening  to  the  consciousness  that  the 
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writers  lies  in  the  very  strangeness  of  their  style,  in  its  removal  from  the 
newspaper  and  the  school  book. 

Mr  Paul  Creswick  gives  it  in  a  story  entitled  "  Under  the  Black  Raven," 
and  recounting  the  deeds  of  Sweyn  Harfage,  when,  armed  by  Alfred,  he 
went  forth  to  claim  his  own,  and,  after  much  good  fighting,  won  it,  and  many 
another  thing.  The  illustrations  are  Mr.  T.  H.  Robinson's  and  are  worthy  of 
both  style  and  story. — Boston  Journal. 

A  spirited  and  striking  picture  of  olden  times  in  Denmark  before  Chris- 
tianity dawned  on  that  land  The  interest  of  the  story  centres  in  the  con- 
flicting claims  of  two  Danish  factions.  The  Ravens  and  The  Dragons — sig- 
nifying the  emblems  under  which  they  fought. 

The  story  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the  rude  wars  of  remote  times. — The 


E.  R  DUTTON  &  CO.,  Publishers 
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DOORS  BY  JAMES  OTIS 

THE  LIFE  SAVERS.     A  Story  of  the  United  States  Life- 
Saving  Service.     Large  i2mo,  328  pages,  illustrated,  $1.50. 

The  story  is  an  exceedingly  good  one,  and  has  interested  me  very  much, 
but  my  especial  admiration  has  been  for  the  extremely  intelligent  and  careftol 
elucidation  it  contains  of  the  methods  and  operations  of  the  service.  You 
have  made  it  accurate,  and  interesting  and  valuable.  It  conveys  certainly 
as  good  an  idea  of  the  operations  of  the  Life-Saving  Service  as  anything  I 
have  ever  read.  I  might  almost  say  the  best.  The  illustrations  are  excel- 
lent, and  taking  the  book  all  in  all  you  may  well  have  pride  in  it.  (S.  J. 
Kimball,  General  Superintendent  Life-Saving  Service.) 

.  .  .  Puts  in  the  form  of  a  story  the  obscure  daring  of  the  noble  Amer- 
ican coast-guard  service  full  of  heroic  daring  and  of  the  victories  of  peace. — 
Churchman. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  books  of  this  season,  or  any  season.  The  book  is 
■well  made,  and  the  subject  is  one  of  intense  interest.  The  Life-Saving  Service 
to  which  it  relates,  is  a  great  and  noble  work,  the  extent  and  value  of  which, 
perhaps,  few  understand. — Living  Church. 

"The  Life  Savers"  is  a  fascinating  and  instructive  story  of  the  United 
States  Life-Saving  Service. — Boston  Beacon. 

THE    LOBSTER    CATCHERS.      A  Story  of  the  Coast  of 
Maine.     i2nio,  cloth,  gilt  top,  illustrated  .        .    I1.50 

It  is  a  description  of  the  way  the  lobster  fishery  is  carried  on,  told  in  the 
form  of  a  story,  which  is  full  of  stirring  incidents  other  than  those  connected 
with  the  subject  proper.  The  author  knows  how  to  tell  a  good  story,  and 
this  is  really  one  of  his  best. — Boston  Transcript. 

The  boy  who  prefers  rather  to  look  around  him  than  backward,  if  he 
chances  to  live  by  the  seashore,  may  be  commended  to  James  Otis's  "  Lobster 
Catchers,  a  Story  of  the  Coast  of  Maine."  Mr.  Otis's  book  has  a  flavor  of 
the  salt  sea  and  touches  of  realism  in  it  that  are  certain  to  make  it  attractive. 
—Churchman. 

A  lively  yam  for  the  boys  about  coast  and  fishing  life.  Will  give  landsmen 
a  good  iciea  of  some  phases  of  existence  at  the  shore.  Handsomely  issued. 
Will  sustain  the  writer's  popularity. — Congregationalist. 

This  story  of  the  coast  of  Maine  describes  the  lobster  industry,  and  shows 
how  it  was  made  to  serve  the  purposes  of  a  lad  who  was  sadly  in  need  of 
money,  helping  him  on  in  a  life  of  good,  honest  work  and  happiness.  Mr. 
Otis's  books  are  always  right  in  tone,  and  likely  to  encourage  boys  in  straight- 
forward endeavor  rather  than  dazzle  them  by  tales  of  marvellous  good  luck. 
—Christian  Register. 

AN  AMATEUR  FIREMAN.— Illustrated  by  Wm.  M.  Gary. 
i2mo,  326  pages,  cloth,  gilt  top |i-50 

.  .  .  A  lively  tale  in  which  are  depicted  the  wonderful  machinery  of 
the  New  York  Fire  Department  and  the  human  life  that  throbs  with  the 
machine.  A  first-rate  story  is  mingled  with  the  descriptive  text,  and  the  for- 
tunes of  the  Amateur  will  absorb  the  interest  of  every  reader. — Book  Buyer. 

This  is  a  capital  story  for  boys  by  the  well-known  author  of  "  Toby  Tyler." 
Besides  being  entertaining,  the  book  is  a  useful  antidote  to  the  idea  that  all 
street  boys  are  vicious  and  worthless,  and  it  enforces  the  lessons  of  industry 
and  proper  ambition. — N.  Y.  Observer. 

The  story  is  droll,  full  of  action  and  interesting  incident.— C/««fcAma». 


E.  P.  DUTTON  &  CO.,  Publishers 
3i  West  Twenty-third  Street,  New  York 


\      i 


